The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth has named Stuart Hall’s Cochran Middle School as one of the top 100 schools in Virginia, based on our students’ superlative performance on the SATs. The Johns Hopkins University Talent Search is a research-based organization that identifies, assesses, and recognizes students with exceptional academic ability. Students are identified for participation in the Talent Search by scoring at or above the 97th percentile on a standardized aptitude or achievement test. Each year, almost 100,000 6th, 7th, and 8th graders are chosen to take the SATs for a special competition.

Stuart Hall Middle School Named Top School

With external measures of achievement being the best non-biased indicators of program quality, the Class of 2010 has blown the lid off of measures of excellence. The thirty-four members of the senior class have been offered a combined total of $2M in merit-based scholarships. Their list of college acceptances and honors rival those of the top independent schools in the nation:

Princeton University University of Virginia Rodman and Echols Scholars University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Honors Program

Washington and Lee University College of William & Mary Monroe Scholars Davidson College Kenyon College Dickinson College

Elon University Honors Fellowship Virginia Tech Honors Program in Engineering

For a complete list of college acceptances, visit our web site at www.stuart-hall.org.

Outstanding Achievement: Three National Merit Finalists Three members of the Stuart Hall Class of 2010 have earned the distinction

of National Merit Finalist: Gregory Ranzini, who was also awarded a Merit Scholarship; Charlie Eckman, and Reed Woodrum.This is a phenomenal achievement for a class of 34 students. To put this in perspective,

more than 1.5 million students qualify to compete for this honor, but only 15,000 become finalists (one tenth of one percent). Stuart Hall boasts three of those students—ten percent of the senior class. Established in 1955, the National Merit Scholar Program is for high school students with exceptionally high PSAT scores.

From the left: Simon Willard ’15 and Hannah Call ’16, daughter of

Barbie McClung Call ’77, received exceptional recognition as a result of

their performance on the SATs and SCATs. As a result of her high scores

on a proficiency test, Hannah Dahl ’16, right, was invited to compete

in the statewide geography bee, sponsored by National Geographic.

College Acceptances and HonorsOver $2M in merit scholarships awarded class of 34 seniors

National Merit Scholarship recipient Gregory Ranzini ’10 will be attending the College of William and Mary in the fall.

Senior class president Jane Jongeward ’10 with Chair of the Board of Governors and Distinguished Alumna Annette Smith Parker ’69. Ms. Parker will be Stuart Hall’s graduation speaker this year.

Spring 2010

uring Alumnae/i Weekend on Friday, April 9, about two dozen members of five key leadership groups from our School gathered for a three-hour workshop designed to provide information on the state of our school and to

brainstorm ways alums could support initiatives to advance our School in the future. Among attendees were members of the Alumnae/i Council, the Alumni Forum, the Board of Governors, the Foundation Board, and key Stuart Hall staff. Sessions focused on Recruitment and Retention, Raising Money, Communications, and Finances.

On Saturday, April 10, many more alums gathered for a reprise of Friday’s workshop’s outcomes. This session, too, was incredibly helpful in engaging alums in the life of our School today and planning for a sustainable future for many years to come. Alums expressed their concerns, their frustrations, and their support; asked questions about the State of the School; and committed to significant engagement in Stuart Hall School today and tomorrow.

If you were not able to attend either of these sessions, all of us who participated would like to share with you a summary of the conversations. An easy way to do this is to join the Alumni Forum social network, where you can review materials from the weekend sessions and can engage these issues with other Stuart Hall alums. If you would like to do this, just go to http://stuarthallalumni.ning.com/ to join the Stuart Hall Alumni Forum. When you get to the Forum’s landing page, look down the left side for “What’s New” and you’ll find all of the presentations and the summaries from the weekend workshops.

We hope you will take some time to review the excellent dialogue from the weekend. I’ll look forward to hearing more from you. Cordially, Annette Smith Parker ’69 Chair, Stuart Hall Board of Governors

Mark Eastham, Head of School, addresses the Forum on Saturday morning.

Participating in the Forum, from the left, are Glennie Smith Forbes ’60, Margaret Hall Hornbaker ’55, Holly Miller ’75, Sally Balch Hurme ’64 (standing), Denise Wooldrige ’76 and Liza Hynes Tillson ’75

DState of the School Forum

Holly Miller ’75 responded to a need for alums to connect, engage, and receive timely information about the School by developing a new web site, the Stuart Hall Alumni Forum. The site was created with the input of several fellow alums, including Liz Lewis ’75, Virginia Munce Bertholet ’75, Denise Wooldridge ’76, and Elizabeth White Baker ’88. The mission of the Forum is to advance alum engagement and advocacy to support the School. The layout of the site is clean, spirited, and easy to navigate, with news of current events at the School as well as news of alums. There are places to add and read class notes, upload photos and videos, participate in surveys and view results, engage in discussions, invite new members, and post and plan Stuart Hall events. Holly is clearly no tech neophyte. Although she lives in a 17th century stone house in Pennsylvania’s Brandywine Valley, her skills are firmly rooted in the 21st century. About 18 months ago, Holly started her own firm providing strategic, operational and IT consulting to investment managers and hedge funds. With humor, grace, and intelligence, in true Stuart Hall style, Holly helped to organize and lead the Alumni Forum on Alum Weekend and created all the graphs and charts used by the other participants, greatly aiding comprehension. Furthermore, she brought her significant other, Milton Ezrati, who added his expertise in finance to the weekend’s discussions, thus earning the title of “honorary alum!” Thanks to Holly’s great effort in support of her Alma Mater, Stuart Hall alums now have a better way to interact with each other and support the mission of the School.

http://stuarthallalumni.ning.com/

Chefs, Chapagne, & Chocolate

Gathering for 17 years, alums in and around Naples became members of the first official Stuart Hall Alumnae/i Chapter on January 24, 2010. Bonnie Fontenot Nielson ’64 presented the chapter charter to Emilie Van Petten Merritt ’46, who has hosted the annual Naples Brunch for many years. Seated, from the left: Georgine Hill Mendillo ’41, Martha Cheek Rudd ’45, Emilie Van Petten Merritt ’46, Laura Lee Buchanan Rush ’46, and Mary Agnes Amick Melton ’46. Standing: Susan Lambert Yates ’73, Dr. Julia East ’79, Bonnie Fontenot Nielson ’64, Betsy Fuller Davis ’51, Charmaine Powers ’75, and Winsor Wood ’04.

The first all-school gala was a resounding success! Over 300 alums, parents, faculty, and friends enjoyed the musical stylings of Kathy Lafon and the jazz group, S.P.L.A.A.A.T. The incredible food was prepared by 30 guest chefs, including (from the left) Barbie McClung Call ’77, Sarah Finley Harrison ’85, and Katie Campbell Spurlock ’88. (Barbie and Katie are also proud parents of Stuart Hall students.) The Auctions were very successful, bringing in over $30,000. Special thanks to parent Laura Nordstrom and Board of Governors member Emily Cochran for chairing this night to remember!

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Bruce Higginbotham Hemp ’72 received an award of the highest distinction from the AMA Alumni Association for her incredible work with her students creating and mailing care packages for our troops and civilians in Afghanistan. Pictured with Bruce are (left) Jorge Rovirosa, President of the AMA Alumni Association, and Brigadier General Larry Nicholson during AMA’s April reunion. Bruce is the only woman to have received this honor.

Getting together over the Christmas holidays is an annual tradition for Stuart Hall Young Alums. Pictured here (top):Alexey Debrot ’09, Tori Botkin ’09, Robin Kresge ’09, and Emily Laser ’09. Below: Sam Sheridan ’05, Robin Day ’06, Blair Krusz ’04, Lizzie Barnette ’04, and Winsor Wood ’04

AMA Alumni Medal

First Alum Chapter Naples

Young Alums

Alumnae/i Weekend 2010 was a huge success! Stuart Hall’s lovely campus is at its best in early April, and the weather cooperated. Reunion classes gathered; traditions were remembered and honored; stories and laughter were shared; friendships were renewed and strengthened. It was a joyous time. The new format of events was very popular. Alums were given opportunities to learn about the School; to offer input and suggestions; to mingle casually in more events with less structure than in the past. Most of the alums are aware of and concerned about the financial crisis Stuart Hall is facing. In response to that concern, a new tradition was begun: the State of the School Forum, with a follow-up presentation Saturday morning for those who were not able to attend Friday. A hardworking group of staff, alums, and members of the Board of Governors spoke with complete transparency about the very difficult past year. Smaller focus groups discussed how to best help the School. The Friday Forum provided information, sharing, and an opportunity for alums of different years to work together. It was an exhilarating experience.

1964 & 1965

1960 50th Reunion!

1994 & 1995

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Distinguished Alumnae

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1960 50th Reunion!

Over the past few years, alums have voiced the desire for more time spent on campus. After all, that’s where our memories were created. This year, we all gathered for “Fine Wines and Fine Friendships” in Old Main. This lovely and relaxing social event was well-attended, with the rooms comfortably crowded by reunion classes and groups of friends. Inlooks were available to help when memory failed. We wandered throughout all floors of Old Main, with pictures of reunion class members hung everywhere. A few “old boys” from SMA and AMA added to the fun. The evening was wonderful. Saturday began with registration in the Arcade and tours of the School, along with a recap of the Friday Forum. The Alumnae/i Association meeting began with a performance by the Upper School Chorus. We were warmly welcomed by Glennie Smith Forbes ’60, past president of the Alumnae/i Council and member of the Board of Governors, and Head of School Mark Eastham. Reunion classes, former faculty, and distinguished guests were honored. Top class gifts to the Annual Fund, critical to the well-being of the School, were recognized. The class with the greatest participation in the Annual Fund was the Class of 1978 with 73% of its members supporting the School. The Classes of 1945 and 1960 had the greatest class gifts; $5,925 and $8,610, respectively. The Distinguished Alumna Award was presented to two outstanding alumnae who have greatly supported the School: Sugie Sproul Battin ’68, presented by Annette Smith Parker ’69, and Jane Pollock Mellen ’48, presented by Bonnie Fontenot Nielson ’64. Jane’s granddaughter Terrell was also among the 34 seniors who were inducted into the Alumnae/i Association during the meeting. Following the luncheon, Carroll House was open for tea and sherry and relaxed visiting among alums, faculty and staff, and friends. Dinner that night was a delicious buffet at Worthington House, home of Kathy and Mark Eastham. As the evening chilled, a comfortably crowded group shared memories and made new friends. After dinner, those who weren’t too exhausted attended the performance of Othello in the King Theater, formerly the old gym, now transformed into a theater named for Mrs. Constance Cody King, whom many of us remember as our beloved music teacher. Sunday was the day for attending church at Emmanuel, if one wished, and for saying goodbye to special friends. Another successful Alumnae/i Weekend had come to an end.

Sugie Sproul Battin ’68 and Jane Pollock Mellen ’48 (front) were named this year’s Distinguished Alumnae. Pictured are Distinguished Alumnae Mary Beirne Kerr Nutt ’57 (left) and Brooke Canada Golden ’64 (right) and Distinguished Honorary Alumna Connie Davis (center).

Lifelong friends from the Class of 1950: LizBet Baker Hopkins, Margot Walker Humphries, and Betty Shewmake Johannssen.

Winsor Wood ’04, Sylvia Matthis Gibson ’53, and Susan Lambert Yates ’73 had lunch together in Athens, Georgia in January.

Robert Whitehurst ’03 and Mike Smith ’03 stopped by the School this spring.

Mary Ann Shaver Llewellyn ’41 and Helen Gravatt Watt ’40 visit with Stuart Hall Business Director Katie Huntley McConnel.

Members of the Class of 1972 celebrated Kentucky Derby in true style by wearing their hats and feasting on shrimp! From the left: Tonia (Sugar) Bryan Glasgow, Barbara Burton Crowson, Anne Bryan, Kathrin Koonce, and Bruce Higginbotham Hemp.

Mark and Kathy Eastham (center) and daughters Caroline ’17 and Katherine ’11 host the Saturday evening dinner on Alumnae/i Weekend at their home, Worthington House. They visit here with Distinguished AlumnaElaine Elder McCarrick ’61.

Brad Arnold and Robin Day ’06 enjoy a laugh on Alumnae/i Weekend.

With unprecedented strength, alums, parents, faculty, students, and friends are giving generously to the Annual Fund this year. With 775 donors, 251 of whom are first-time contributors, gifts to the Annual Fund now stand at $615,000, representing a 76% increase in gifts and a 40% increase in donors over last year—a phenomenal accomplishment for any school at any time.

The Annual Fund is an essential part of the annual operating budget, contributing to all areas of operations, including faculty salaries and professional development, athletics, fine arts, technology, and financial aid. It has a direct impact on every student and every program at the School. It is the most important source of revenue other than student tuition. The entire Stuart Hall community has stepped forward to ensure that the programs that make Stuart Hall distinctive endure—from sixth grader Katie Laser who secured 100% Annual Fund giving from her classmates to the Parent Annual Fund chairs who appealed to fellow parents to the tireless work of members of the Board of Governors and Alumnae/i Council. Their spirited efforts have propelled us to greater financial health and sustainability. All sectors of the Stuart Hall community increased their Annual Fund support. Alumnae/i participation rates jumped to 23%, with an average gift size of $762—a 30% increase over last year. Parent participation increased 47% over last year, while grandparent participation increased a stunning 83%. The percent of faculty and staff who give to the Annual Fund—79%—is well above the national average of 61%. The economic crisis energized all of those parents, grandparents, alums, and friends who believe in the mission of the School and who want to ensure that current and future generations of students will continue to reap the benefits of its successful programs and remarkable community. This is a place where students are known, loved, and encouraged to be their best selves. This year clearly demonstrates that alums cherish their memories and friendships made at Stuart Hall and will work to continue to have a place, a home to which they can always return.

Annual Fund Soars!76% Increase in Giving

Mission of the School Stuart Hall School offers a rigorous and supportive coeducational academic program in the liberal arts and sciences for students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. With respect for the development of each individual, the School is a community anchored in a multi-faceted core value:

• Educating the Mind • Strengthening the Body • Renewing the Heart • Nurturing the Spirit

In the context of its Episcopal tradition, Stuart Hall School prepares boys and girls of all faiths for success in colleges and universities worldwide and for engaged lives of intellectual curiosity, responsible citizenship, creative expression, ethical leadership, and compassionate service.

Class of 2021

Class of 1945

P.O. Box 210Staunton, VA 24402-0210www.stuart-hall.org(540) 885-0356

Martha Dabney Jones Headmistress of Stuart Hall, 1955-1972

Miss Jones celebrated her 100th birthday on January 15, and reported that she was quite humbled by all the cards and flowers she received and the donations made to the School in her honor by her former students and faculty. A Distinguished Honorary Alumna, she visited recently with two Distinguished Alumnae, Susan Lambert Yates ’73 and Bonnie Fontenot Nielson ’64, and with Margaret Wood, Alumnae/i and Development Director, at Westminster Canterbury in Charlottesville. As Bonnie so accurately observed, Miss Jones is “quick on her feet and still quicker in her mind.” With great animation Miss Jones shared her memories of her Williamsburg childhood, dances she attended in graduate school, her service in France during World War II, her students and faculty, and life at Stuart Hall. She recalled a surprise visitor she received in the late 1950s. Miss Jones was in her office at the School when she heard someone come up the front steps of Old Main, walk through the front door, and knock on her office door. It was Mrs. Ada A. Hills, principal of the School from 1918-1933, who had stopped by for a visit. She was 100 years old. Miss Jones welcomes letters and visits from her former students and faculty, whom she remembers with great fondness. Those wishing to contact her may do so at 250 Pantops Mountain Road, Apartment CL 2103, Charlottesville, Virginia 22911.

IND ODY EART PIRIT

Susan Lambert Yates ’73, Miss Martha Dabney Jones, and Bonnie Fontenot Nielson ’64

M B H S

This newsletter is a publication of Stuart Hall School, Margaret Stanley Wood editor, mwood@stuart-hall.org.