Dear Members of the Agnes Irwin Community,
In one of my last official duties as Chair of the Board of Trustees, I wanted to bring you up to date on three important developments for The Agnes Irwin School as we break for the days of rest, relaxation and exploration that summer often brings.
Memorial Park Proposal
Agnes Irwin has been in negotiation with Radnor Township to access Memorial Field (located at the corner of King of Prussia Road and Matson Ford Road, next to the Radnor train station) for designated times in exchange for upgrading the playing field. Under the terms of the proposal, the school will install a new artificial turf field and lights in exchange for using the field from 3-6 p.m. during the fall and the spring, and additional hours in the summer for Summer Session and fall preseason athletics. The school will pay Radnor Township $35,000 to maintain the area around the field, and the agreement will last from 15 to 20 years. When the field is not being used by AIS, it will be open to the Radnor Township sports leagues to meet their need for additional athletic fields.
We see this as a win-win for the school and the township. Agnes Irwin will have access to an artificial turf athletic field while the campus fields are closed during the construction of the Athletic Center and Student Life Center. In the longer-term, AIS will add another field for the Athletic Program – a critical goal for the school. For Radnor Township, this allows the township to make an athletic field available that frequently has been closed due to unsafe conditions over the past few years.
On May 23, the Radnor Township Board of Commissioners voted to introduce an ordinance to approve the lease agreement with Agnes Irwin. The ordinance is currently being publicized to township residents and the final vote will be taken on Monday, June 20th. Organizers and members of the Radnor Athletic Association have been very helpful in providing information to help the commissioners consider this agreement, and we are hopeful that it will pass on June 20th.
Phase 1 Construction on Campus
If you drive by the campus, you will see that the construction fences have been put up to begin Phase 1 of the Campus Improvements Project. During the summer, site work will focus around the Arts & Science Center and Lower School loop, including new parking, sidewalks, landscaping, and underground utility work. The work schedule has been designed not to interfere with the Summer Session, as the safety of the campers is the school’s highest concern. All of that work will be completed before the beginning of school in September.
Phase 2 will encompass construction of the primary project components: the new Athletic Center and fields, Student Life Center, Main Entranceway and expanded parking lot, Student Street and surrounding landscaping and paving. This second phase will begin in the spring of 2012 and continue through the 2012-2013 academic year until full completion in the summer of 2013.
Board Leadership Change
I am pleased to announce that at the May 24th Board of Trustees meeting, Ann Laupheimer Sonnenfeld ’77 was elected as Chair of the Board. Ann has been a tireless contributor to the Board, most recently serving as Vice Chair and Chair-Elect of the Board. Ann has also been very helpful to me during my term as Chair, and I am confident that she will successfully hit the ground running in her new role.
It has been an honor for me to serve as Chair of the Board. The Agnes Irwin School is made up of dedicated professionals who are committed to the mission of educating girls. I have been continually impressed by the passion and creativity that the faculty and staff employ to make learning interesting for their students.
As I retire from the Board, I am leaving confident in knowing that the school is in great shape. We have weathered the economic storms with prudent decisions that have ensured Agnes Irwin’s continued excellence. Dr. Mary Seppala has done an outstanding job assuming the leadership of the school, and I am extremely excited for her plans for the school. Agnes Irwin is poised for an exciting campus transformation that will provide even better facilities for the girls.
Sincerely,
I.H. "Chip" Clothier
Outgoing Board Chair