Dear Parents,
It is hard to believe that the fall has rushed by and that we are ready for our Thanksgiving break. I have just come from the all-school Thanksgiving assembly, buoyed by the heart-warming stories of thanks that our students shared. There is much, indeed, to celebrate and cherish in the Agnes Irwin community.
Personally, I have much to be thankful for this year. My two sons are healthy and well, and we are all living on the same continent. I have the amazing opportunity to interact with your daughters each day, and I feel the tremendous support of this extraordinary school community.
We began the 2010-2011 school year in a position of strength as the local leader (by sheer numbers of female students) among peer schools in the education of girls. Throughout the fall, I have had several opportunities to meet alumnae, and I continue to be struck by how much their Agnes Irwin education has meant to them and how the strong bonds of sisterhood created in their school days have sustained them in their adult life. Each day, I get to witness these bonds developing in hallways and classrooms, on the playground and on the stage, as our girls support each other in multiple aspects of academic, athletic, artistic, and social and emotional life. Next week, you will receive an invitation to participate in a parent survey seeking feedback about your daughter’s Agnes Irwin experience. We look forward to your responses.
Community spirit is strong, as witnessed by overwhelming participation in the 6th annual and its accompanying events. Those who witnessed the faculty vs. student volleyball game preceding the bonfire and pep rally can attest to the fact that spirits ran high. We thank our Varsity players for adhering to modified rules to take it easy on some of us older folks. competitions were joyous, with tremendous school pride on display for visitors to our campus. Festivities wrapped up with a wonderful tribute to the 2010 inductees into the AIS Athletic Hall of Fame, nine individuals and the inaugural AIS Squash team.
School life has been incredibly busy this fall and the girls, faculty and staff have been engaged in a number of exciting pursuits. In the Lower School, faculty are in the middle of a multi-year process that will result in a clearly expressed language arts curriculum with consistent standards and benchmarks for learning across the Lower School grades. This will be complemented by an ongoing assessment process geared toward better understanding each girl’s performance, with the goal of tailoring instruction to individual needs. We will also be examining the language program in the Lower School and using the body of research that connects performance in math with studying a string instrument to explore new opportunities for a strings program in the Lower School. We are excited about these initiatives and will be sharing more information as we progress.
The Middle School has been immersed in the development of interdisciplinary curriculum at all grade levels, recognizing the importance of learning opportunities that allow students to see and develop connections across their courses. This sort of learning leads to greater subject retention as well. Fifth grade art, history and English teachers are working to advance the natural overlap of these disciplines. Sixth grade English students are poised for in-depth exploration of Nepal, honing skills in research, geography, science and writing that will lead to the publishing of books to teach AIS second-graders about this Himalayan culture. Seventh graders and their teachers recently delved into a week of intensive small group work around culture, including natural resources, health and disease, music, government, mythology, economics, and more. And our eighth grade girls traveled to New York City as immigrant family groups, the culmination to their cross-discipline study of immigration. In Middle School academics, the content is rich, the challenges are many, and the skills being practiced (critical thinking, communication, collaboration, etc.) are invaluable.
The Upper School staff has been busy as well, working to continually enhance the education of your daughters. Initiatives have focused on interdisciplinary work, such as the Art History course in which faculty have spoken on their expertise. The English and history departments have aligned literature study with historical time periods, and the AP Spanish class is examining local immigration issues through the use and study of the language. We have continued for a second year a lunch time series, where students can engage women leaders in various fields in discussion over lunch at my home. Department chairs have begun to lay the foundation for curriculum mapping, documentation and discussion of what is being taught in the classroom with an eye toward maximum cohesion in the curriculum. Upper School faculty are wrapping up an 18-month conversation about the tenets of excellence they demonstrate each day. Finally, we are re-examining the timing of the Special Studies Program to better balance college testing dates, athletics and the C21 Challenge program.
As we continue to refine curriculum and instructional practice to prepare our girls for active engagement in the 21st century, we are excited to embark on an initiative to establish the Center for the Advancement of Girls at The Agnes Irwin School. The Center will be a catalyst for thought leadership in girls’ education, and distinguish Agnes Irwin as a leading voice and change agent. Its mission is to support girls in developing the resilient mindset and cognitive and social-emotional tools needed to lead healthy, balanced lives while empowering them to become leaders. We are fortunate to have Mariandl Hufford, a veteran educator passionate about girls issues, directing this effort.
The vision for the Center for the Advancement of Girls includes programming to promote leadership, wellness, 21st century best practice in education, research in teaching and learning specific to girls and global outreach. We also envision partnerships with universities, such as the current initiative of teaching Arabic through our collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania.
Finally, there is great enthusiasm for the spectacular Capital Improvements Project, which will enliven our campus with a new Athletic Center, Student Center and Dining Hall, “Student Street” and Campus Entranceway and Main Entrance/Reception Area. These new facilities, once completed, will give Agnes Irwin students dazzling spaces to learn, to work and to play.
There is so much to be thankful for, so much to celebrate, so much to look forward to!
Mary F. Seppala, Ed.D.