Spartanburg Day School SUMME R 2 0 2 0
Distance Learning: the SDS Experience During a Pandemic SUNNY DAYS: MEET THE NEW HEAD OF LOWER SCHOOL CELEBRATING OUR SENIORS: THE CLASS OF 2020 IS OFF TO GREAT PLACES
SKY LY NER M AGAZI N E
SKYLYNER M AGA ZINE
HEAD OF SCHOOL
Rachel S. Deems
Summer 2020
EDITOR
Lee Healy CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Farrar Richardson Leslie Shealy Michel Stone Ellie Toler ’20 Scott Votey Kevin Weatherill DESIGN
Cheney & Company BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2019–20
Jaime Wall, President Alice Dawson, Vice President Susan Bridges, Treasurer Sarah Hunt-Barron, Secretary Ned Page, Past President Marjorie Boafo Appiah Andrew Babb Vic Bailey III Sheila Cash Justin Converse ’92 Chris Crowley ’75 Rachel Deems Rick Dent ’65 Alex Evins ’76 Elaine Freeman Aaron Frost ’09 Barney Gosnell Edward Hannah David Johnson Mimi Killoren Dr. Chuck Morrow, Jr. ’85 Dick Pennell Laura Stille Michel Stone Mark VanGeison Charlotte Verreault Billy Webster CONTACT US
(864) 582-7539 Admissions admissions@sdsgriffin.org
10 DAY SC H OOL AT A DISTA N C E
The heads of the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools reflect on key takeaways from distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
8 MUS I C TO O UR EARS
Did you know that engaging with music at an early age aids in developing fine and gross motor control and also contributes to intellectual and social development? Learn how our 2K–12th music education program helps us “keep the beat.”
Alumni alumni@sdsgriffin.org Make a Gift mimi.killoren@sdsgriffin.org Magazine communications@sdsgriffin.org OUR MISSION
To provide a superior educational experience, in a community of trust, that prepares students for a life well lived.
30 TH E C L A SS OF 2020
Despite an unusual year, the Class of 2020 prevailed and will be attending 31 colleges and universities in 16 states.
Departments
I would tell you…
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What a difference a year makes.
GRIFFIN DAYS
8 ARTS
You may recall the words written in this space last year reflected on
16 ATHLETICS
the informed and inclusive process to create a new strategic plan for
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the Day School and looked ahead to a year of implementation and
ANNUAL REPORT AND DONORS
significant progress. I’m pleased to say that, yes, progress has been
24 ALUMNI
made on the strategic plan, but, from my vantage point of summer
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2020, it’s but one piece of a year filled to the brim with growth,
L AST WORD
IBC REMEMBER WHEN
innovation, challenges, accomplishments and adjustments. During the 2019–20 academic year: We embarked on year one of implementing a new strategic plan with notable progress in several areas. We successfully completed the rigorous dual accreditation process offered by the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) and Cognia, earning reaccreditation for another five years. The Lower School earned reaccreditation from the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. We completed a search for and appointed a new head of Lower School and look forward to the many contributions of talent and leadership Sunny Huckaby will make to our Griffin community. And, as you know and will read more about in this publication, we faced (and continue to face) the pandemic COVID-19, and moved rather abruptly into the world of distance learning beginning March 16 to the end of the school year. I can’t say enough about the ability and willingness of our faculty to learn and adjust, creating a highly valued process, of the steadfast spirit of our students to accept this new
4 M E E T MRS . H UC K A B Y
Sunny Huckaby joined SDS in June as the new Head of Lower School. Learn more about our newest Griffin leader!
platform for learning and of the support of our parents as distance learning progressed and evolved. We tested our Griffin spirit, and it prevailed. So, here’s to the year ahead. May we stand steady in the face of challenge, and may we embrace and use change as an opportunity to make us better. Whatever the days ahead may hold, as long as we support each other, we Griffins will rise to the challenge!
Rachel S. Deems Head of School
I’M A GRIFFIN DAY • OCT. 3
Seeing the entire Griffin school community in one place each year is truly special. Faculty and students, 2K–12th grade, gathered on the lawn for the annual all-school photo, followed by some sweet treats.
Griffin Days VETERANS DAY • NOV. 11
KINDERGARTEN WE ARE READERS PARADE • SEPT. 30
Veterans and guests attended a very special ceremony honoring those in the armed forces. Afterward, students learned more about some of the unique military vehicles parked on the front lawn.
Our kindergarten students are so excited about learning to read, they parade through the school each fall. Students wrote and created their own signs for the big event.
WELLNESS WEDNESDAY
Once a week, Middle School students enjoy a modified schedule that includes afternoon workshops—board games, coding, “Griffins Going Green,” Ultimate Frisbee and more—AND no homework. Students are taught to take time for creativity, fun, learning new skills, caring for others and, simply, the importance of wellness.
GRADUATION • JUNE 19
Surrounded by family, friends and faculty on the front lawn, 43 socially distanced seniors graduated as the Class of 2020.
YIG • NOV. 21–23
We’re grateful for the opportunities our Upper School students have through participation in Youth in Government each year, writing bills, participating in elections and sitting as members of a mock legislature.
“WHERE’S THE LOVE” DODGEBALL • FEB. 12
CHINESE NEW YEAR • JAN. 25
The SDS community honored international students from China during the annual Chinese New Year celebration.
FOURTH GRADE EXHIBITION • MAR. 6
The Middle School always shows the love and brings the fun at the annual “Where’s the Love” dodgeball tournament, held every year around Valentine’s Day.
Fourth Grade Exhibition is the culminating event of the International Baccalaureate PYP Program. Students focused on ideas they believe will make a difference in the world and shared their journeys with peers, teachers and guests.
SUMMER SEND-OFF PARADE • MAY 21
After weeks of distance learning, faculty, students and families were finally able to see each other, face to face, at the Summer Send-Off Parade.
PARENTS’ COMMUNITY FR8YARD SOCIAL • SEPT. 12
MIDDLE SCHOOL TRIPS • SEPT. 10–13
US HONOR CODE • SEPT. 12
Our Parents’ Community loves getting together for fun, family-friendly events like this one at the downtown Fr8yard.
MONTH OF GRATITUDE • NOVEMBER
During the Month of Gratitude, students and faculty are intentional about being thankful. They wrote notes of appreciation on windows throughout the buildings and hung messages on a Gratitude Tree.
The SDS Honor Code is a central way our community builds trust. Upper School students hold a signing event each year, pledging to acknowledge their understanding of and their commitment to the Honor Code. The signed copies are displayed in the Upper School halls as a reminder of the role integrity and honor play in our community.
SHARK TANK • OCT. 16
A much-anticipated middle school event, students traveled to Williamsburg, Green River Preserve and Washington, D.C., where students laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
HOLIDAY CONCERT • DEC. 20
Lower School students, led by Ms. Shealy, wowed the audience with their musical talents at the annual holiday performance.
Upper School financial algebra students asked guest “sharks” to invest in their ideas after researching and developing their own business plans. Proposals included a shop for college game day necessities, a business supplying customized, branded buses for pop-up shops, a new restaurant concept and a reusable, filtered water bottle featuring a unique UV bulb.
TURKEY TROT • NOV. 22
HALLOWEEN PARADE • OCT. 31
The 4K Turkey Trot is one of our favorite school traditions—so much so that our senior “lifers” joined in the fun for a second time!
Students and faculty alike donned their best costumes for a parade through the halls, ending with a grand trunk-or-treat in the gymnasium.
FACULTY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT • FEB. 14
Our faculty’s love of learning is evidenced during professional development opportunities throughout the year. On this day, faculty presented topics that encouraged exploration of spaces and ideas that cut across divisions and disciplines.
SPECIAL STUDIES WEEK • MAR. 2–6
Upper School students took a break from the classroom during Special Studies Week for experiential learning— including a writer’s retreat, trip to New Orleans, community service and cooking class in Santa Fe.
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The Concert of Our Lives After an unusual spring semester away from campus, the Class of 2020 requested a familiar face to give the keynote address at this year’s graduation.
By David Roark Upper School English teacher
Graduates of the Class of 2020, I am honored and humbled that you have chosen me as your commencement speaker. Because of our sudden shift to distance learning over the last two months of the school year, I didn’t get a chance to properly say good-bye to all my seniors. You have given me the opportunity to do so now, so thank you. To commence, as Membean [an online vocabulary program] has taught you all, means to begin, and a commencement address usually gives advice to graduates as they begin a new phase in their lives. Unfortunately, I don’t feel terribly qualified to give advice, because I’m still figuring things out myself. When I was a child, I so looked forward to being an adult—having the freedom to go where I chose to go, eat what I chose to eat, sleep and wake up when I chose to sleep and wake up. But most important, I yearned to be an adult because I was always unsure of myself and confused, and I thought being an adult meant having things figured out. Turns out I was wrong. So, I guess my first piece of advice to you is this: don’t worry about not having things figured out, because you’ll always be trying to figure out your life. And just when you think you’ve figured things out, your circumstances will
Right: Upper School English teacher David Roark gives his commencement speech to the Class of 2020.
change, and you’ll have to start all over again. The French philosopher Albert Camus compared life to the Greek myth of Sisyphus, whom the gods punished by having him roll a boulder up a hill, and when he got to the top, the boulder would roll down, and he’d have to start all over again. Just when you think you’ve got high school figured out, there goes the boulder down the hill, and you’re starting all over again in college. And just when you think you’ve figured out college, you graduate, and there goes that boulder down again, and you start graduate school, or start a new job, or get married. It never ends. Now this might sound bleak. But Camus tells us that Sisyphus finds happiness in his task of boulder rolling. If you can’t accept that life is a constant struggle, if you feel that things should be easier, and that it’s someone else’s fault that they’re not, you can never be happy, and live a life of meaning. But once you accept that you will always struggle, that things are always changing, then you, like Sisyphus, can find happiness in the everyday actions you take as you live your lives. And once you understand that life is a struggle for everyone, it becomes easier to stop judging others and to work together to make everyone’s struggle less overwhelming.
SUMMER 2020
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Because Life is not a game that you win or lose; it’s more like playing in a jazz band. You find something you like to do, something that you’re good at. You find other people to play with, people you like and who are also talented. You have a plan, but you also know you’re going to be making a lot of it up as you go along. But you’re not alone, and so you work together, you help and support each other. And everyone’s watching you, and it feels like they’re all judging you. You’re so nervous, you occasionally hit a wrong note, but it’s so much fun, when the show is over, you can’t wait to get up the next day and do it all again.
Forty-three seniors graduated on June 19 as the Spartanburg Day School Class of 2020.
Today you say goodbye to the Spartanburg Day School community, but even as you go off to join new communities, I hope you know that you will always be a part of this place. And I hope that your time here has taught you the value of community, and the responsibilities that go along with sustaining a healthy community. We live in an uncertain and anxious time, a time when the struggles that some in our larger community face have been laid bare for all to see. You graduates have been privileged to live and learn in a healthy, loving community. You know how a strong community is the best way to help each other deal with the struggles of life, and I hope that you will work to make the communities you will join stronger, healthier—a place where we all struggle together equally as we perform the concert of our lives. Before I say goodbye, a few more quick pieces of advice as you go off to college: 1. Call your parents regularly, not just when you need something. You’ll miss them, but only occasionally— they’ll be missing you constantly. 2. Spend time with as many different people as possible. At SDS, you are used to being with a very small group of people all the time, but college life will be much more diverse—embrace it.
“I HOPE THAT YOUR TIME HERE HAS TAUGHT YOU THE VALUE OF COMMUNITY, AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT GO ALONG WITH SUSTAINING A HEALTHY COMMUNITY.” 3. Make sure you have some good friends you think are smarter than you are. If you are the smartest person in your friend group, get more friends. Since life is a struggle, you’ll want the best people you can find to be there when you need them. 4. Many people think college is the best years of their lives. They’re wrong—life is the best part of your life. All of it. So please don’t think of college as the time to have fun, because the rest of your life will be no fun. Instead, think of college as a time to practice the balance that you’ll need for your life—a balance between work and play, between being responsible and being carefree, between looking out for yourself and looking out for others. It is only by finding balance that you can truly achieve a life well lived. Well, that’s it—I have no more advice to give. After a year of patiently listening to me ramble on about poems and novels, thank you for listening to me one last time. It has been a privilege to be a part of your lives, and to get to play a small part in your transformation into the young adults who sit here today. I am so proud of you all. Congratulations, and Godspeed.
SUMMER 2020
SDS welcomes Sunny Huckaby as new Head of Lower School After an extensive nationwide search that included a pool of highly qualified candidates, Sunny Huckaby joined the Spartanburg Day School community July 1 as head of Lower School. Mrs. Huckaby most recently served as assistant head of school at Southfield School in Shreveport, La. Mrs. Huckaby has 21 years of experience in early childhood and elementary programs. Before moving into the role of assistant head of school, she served as Southfield’s preschool director for six years, playing an integral part in developing and opening a new preschool building in 2015. She also has extensive experience as a classroom teacher. She taught second grade at Southfield School, building on previous experience teaching early childhood and elementary students at Benton Elementary School and R.V. Kerr Elementary School, both in Louisiana. Mrs. Huckaby earned a Master of Education in early childhood education from Northwestern State University and a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education from Louisiana State University Shreveport. “Sunny Huckaby emerged from a competitive field of candidates as an experienced, insightful and caring leader for our preschool and Lower School,” said Head of School Rachel Deems. “She immediately connected with faculty and families and was seen as one who offers an open door and listening ear, while ensuring that the quality of our programs and educational experience continues to be the compelling reason to choose the Day School for young learners.” “I’m delighted to be a part of the Spartanburg Day School family,” Mrs. Huckaby said. “The educational philosophy, focus on the whole child and emphasis on relationships drew me to the school. I’m thrilled to join the community and partner with the incredible faculty and leadership team to provide the best educational environment for our students.” Mrs. Huckaby and her husband of 25 years, Sean, have two college-age children, Carson, a student at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and Madison, who attends the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Outside of school, she enjoys reading, outdoor activities, traveling and spending time with friends and family.
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Q&A What is your favorite thing about your job? I am passionate about providing the best educational experiences for students. My favorite part of the job is seeing children happily engaged in the classroom and experiencing those “aha” moments with glee.
What can we find you doing on a day off? I enjoy spending time with my family and two dogs, Peanut and Banksy. I love to be outside and enjoy hiking, kayaking, and exploring new places. I also love gardening.
What is your favorite children’s book and why? This is a hard question because I have so many favorite children’s books. My favorite growing up was Hurry, Hurry. It was a silly book that my mom read to me, and she used such great expression. We laughed and laughed at the silliness of the story.
In three words, how would you describe yourself? I am dedicated, organized, and compassionate.
What is an interesting fact not many people know about you? Last summer (2019) my daughter and I volunteered at an apple orchard in France with a program called WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms). Although it was a little out of my comfort zone, I learned so much while being immersed in the language and culture.
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Arts
Keeping the Beat The lasting impact of early exposure to music education
By Leslie Shealy Music & Chorus teacher
When I began working with our youngest Griffins in the Discovery Classroom, I was amazed to see that these 2- and 3-year-olds already possessed an innate ability to keep a steady beat without prompting. It was something I learned but did not believe until I saw it in my own classroom. It begins when I demonstrate a song or rhyme on a percussion instrument. I follow their beat. If they stop I stop, if they slow down I slow down, and so on. They progressively advance and by the end of 3K and beginning of 4K, they are able to keep the beat while I lead a song or rhyme. I have met adults unable to keep steady beats. This only reinforces what music educators already know about the importance of developing musicality in children, especially in early years. I feel lucky to work in a school that puts great value on the arts and even luckier that I am able to work with students at all ages, from preschoolers to teenagers. I see their progression and cannot wait for the day I get to experience my first preschoolers in Upper School. I will remember where they started: retaining a steady beat, matching pitch and moving musically. Research shows that early engagement with music aids in developing fine and gross motor control and contributes to intellectual and social development. This is especially true when, as infants, children experience bouncing, tapping, tickles and clapping. They are born with natural musical skills (listening to their mother’s heartbeat for 9
months is the best steady beat we have!). However, if by first grade they have not used and retained this skill, it is all the more difficult to get back. In Lower School, we focus on “doing” rather than learning about music. There is so much to gain in the early years. We’re building tools that become the foundation for creat ing music. From birth to age six, it is vital for children to explore musical ideas such as high and low sounds, fast and slow. They do not necessarily have to put a name to these skills, but being exposed to them is essential. Starting in our 3K class we begin learning how to respond in echoing by ourselves and with others. In 4K we begin improvising by responding to different musical questions. It is amazing how creatively and beautifully students are able to respond without hesitation. These musical skills have been proven to later aid in communication, managing feelings and creating a sense of community. Starting as early as 4K and kindergarten, students are able to play musical games. The students are not only having fun during these games, they are also listening and responding, cooperating with others and moving “beat-fully.” They build community within their class by celebrating individuality and being able to work together. The best feeling after a musical circle game is, when checking to make sure everyone has had a turn, hearing someone say, “Ms. Shealy you haven’t had a turn yet!”
SUMMER 2020
’50s Fun Night, Dec 11–12: The Upper School Drama Team’s presentation of a ’50s Fun Night was pretty nifty and featured choreographed singing and dancing.
Lower School students don’t just LEARN music. They DO music.
Rag Quilts and Collard Greens Exhibit, February: Natalie Daise was not only the talented artist behind the impactful “Rag Quilts and Collard Greens” exhibit in the Dent Gallery, but a visiting artist and storyteller who spent several days on campus working with students in all three divisions.
As we grow into first and second grade, we are able to do more complex activities and learn how to move artfully using the Laban themes a dance educator would incorporate into their curriculum. We begin folk dancing, learning call and response songs, and begin learning the basics of vocal technique. In third and fourth grade, we start learning a little more “about” music—notation, form and composers. These are just a few main examples of experiencing and learning about music, but there are many more.
Student Art Shows: Our student art exhibits are as impressive as any show in the Dent Gallery. While the Middle School show was viewed in person, due to COVID-19 the extraordinary Lower and Upper School shows were transformed to be viewed in a virtual format.
I also have the pleasure of teaching Upper School Chorus. I am amazed by how they grow musically in high school. I love hearing the Jazz Band improvise, able to quickly learn new music by ear and later match it to notation. I love equally hearing the chorus sing not only in tune and rhythmically, but with beauty and expression. They are able to take those basic skills learned early on and develop them to become well-rounded musicians (and people, for that matter). Looking more broadly, it is clear to see how the time spent on music with our youngest students matriculates to the development of our band and chorus and even theater programs in Middle and Upper School. We are working on a “30 year plan”— hoping that in 30 years, our students will be singing lullabies to their children, clapping at a concert and singing the National Anthem at a football game confidently. Keep the beat, music friends!
Holiday Band and Chorus Concerts, Dec. 3 & 5: The holiday band and chorus concerts, led by Band Director Dick Barnes and Chorus Teacher Leslie Shealy, hit all the right notes.
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Distance
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SUMMER 2020
Learning
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TH E HEAD S OF THE LOWER , MI D D LE AN D UPP ER SCHOOLS R EFLECT ON DIS TAN CE LEAR NI NG D U R I NG THE C OVID- 19 PAND EMI C.
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A
t the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Spartanburg Day School—like many schools across
the nation and world—took a swift leap of faith into the world of distance learning. Traditional learning spaces were replaced with virtual classrooms. Despite the significant shift, faculty worked decidedly and deliberately to uphold our mission to “provide a superior educational experience.” Innovation and adaptation proved essential. Connections were made, and community predominated, despite obvious challenge. In a parent survey conducted in May— more than two months in—78 percent said they were either extremely or moderately satisfied with the distance learning experience. With a pandemic still in our midst, plans have been drawn to approach the 2020–21 academic year with even greater adaptability while continuing to uphold our mission promise. Our three division heads took time to reflect on a few key takeaways from the last three
“I CONTINUE TO BE SO
impressed by our wonderful SDS faculty! You have made the very best of this situation and exceeded our expectations of how this might work. Our kids are engaged, challenged, focused and most of all, cared
months of the 2020 spring semester.
for. The structure has been a
Three central concepts emerged—
lifesaver. I cannot imagine how
relationships, flexibility and continuity.
school would be if students were
These principles will continue to prevail
expected to conduct their studies
within the Day School experience, no
without checking in with you
matter how or where learning happens.
daily. You continue to instruct and set high expectations. I don’t feel that we have lost a step! Thank you all. We love you!” — UPPER SCHOOL PARENT
SUMMER 2020
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On being flexible, pivoting the pivot, what we left behind, and the good we may have gathered along the way by Farrar Richardson Head of Middle School
>
Personal connections during distance learning were particularly important. Middle and Upper School students averaged three Zoom sessions each day. In Lower School, students benefited from at least two sessions a day.
Early on in this adventure of emergency distance learning, I recall someone using the word “pivot” and then the phrase “pivot the pivot.” At the time, while I could see its relevance, I did not fully understand just how essential this term would become. Quickly, and without a playbook, being able to pivot the pivot at a moment’s notice became not only a tactical necessity but a critical mindset for all of us. When I say all of us, I really do mean all of us. Faculty, administration, students and parents were challenged to construct, accept and embrace change over and over again. The word “flexibility” took on new meaning, and the reality of teaching and learning on a loosely defined and shifting continuum became our new normal.
So, to find out one day that our work and processes would largely need to be redefined, reimagined, restructured and recommunicated on the very next day, was something to inhale and digest. I would say that our entire faculty did just that and then some. They received, in less than two hours, the training on communication and learning platforms that would become their lifeline to their students and their work. In less than two days, they were asked to take everything home that they thought they might need and prepare to teach from there. The courage that this sort of leap into the abyss requires is, in my opinion, nothing shy of heroic as it challenged what we knew and what we loved about doing our jobs.
For general reference, I think it is important to note that change in schools, when done the way educators are most comfortable, is fairly slow. Generally speaking, those of us who gravitate toward careers in education like to know where we are going, prefer to have solid evidence to support a move in any direction, take careful time to consider new ideas, test the waters and, ultimately, collect data. In addition, and somewhat unique to independent school communities, we prefer all of this change to be specific to our students’ needs, relevant to our school community and aligned with our way of thinking. We take pride in the extensive thought and preparation behind making big decisions for our students whether those be to stay the course or take a sharp turn. We have not had to pivot the pivot so much.
Some of us taught with our own children on our laps or had older ones who needed us to be their teachers as well. Some of us taught with technology that we were unsteady and unsure of. Some of us taught while worrying
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> The
more things change, the more they stay the same
Left: Even preschoolers took part in a 30-minute “face-to-face” morning meeting each day.
Continued from page 13
about family members working in essential businesses or furloughed from their jobs. Some of us taught in a closet because our adult children were unexpectedly home again and needed “office space.” Some of us recreated every single lesson plan because our way of teaching simply didn’t transfer to online learning. All of us worried that our students weren’t getting our best and that we weren’t getting theirs. All of us worried about things that might be left behind and what we would do to remedy that when we were back together. All of us missed being able to look at a student and know what was wrong and be able to ask him or help her… right then and there. All of us worried about our students’ parents who were becoming their children’s teachers at a time and in a way that wasn’t easy. Because I believe in seeing the positives in any change, I look forward to the conversations we will have together about what was essential, what was unpredictably meaningful, what we are perhaps ready to leave behind, what we will pick up with fervor, what we will protect at all costs, what we will do even better if this reality finds us again, and finally what we might treasure as the good that this pivot may have given us all.
by Kevin Weatherill Head of Upper School
There is an old adage that tough times do not build one’s character but reveal it. By comparison, one could say distance learning did not create entirely new challenges, but rather revealed existing challenges in different ways. Certainly, there were unique problems. For instance, it took faculty more time to prepare a remote class than one in a traditional setting. The pace and environment of a brick-and-mortar class could not be precisely replicated remotely. Students reported allocating more time to homework. And everyone would agree that removing the in-person social component of education proved to be one of our greatest hurdles. And yet, many of the challenges we faced during distance learning were not new. In our traditional setting, we know students and faculty alike bring their home life to the classroom. Frustration was made more obvious when a student or a teacher was bounced out of a virtual meeting (though the frozen faces on Zoom may have been entertaining). Likewise, more than one class was playfully interrupted by a toddler, a pet, even a parent in the background; a welcomed respite from the lesson at hand. These emotions are relevant regardless of setting. We know a host of key skills developed in school showed themselves to be at work via distance learning: responsibility to attend classes, ability to exercise executive functioning, and capacity to communicate. These, too, are not new challenges. There is a strong correlation between class attendance and academic achievement. The
importance of executive functioning (i.e. attention, organization, self-monitoring, focusing, etc.) was even greater while learning remotely. (Interestingly, a significant number of students relayed that their concentration improved during distance learning). And while students and faculty noted the challenges of communication, the difference in setting made this issue related to platform (i.e. almost solely electronic). Typically, students would receive a similar amount of communication, though through different means (i.e. email, whiteboard, conversation). Finally, and this may be the challenge we most appreciate from distance learning: student and faculty wellness. Our schedule intentionally allotted time for students to engage in activities they found healthy. We held onto advisory time, when students could see each other in a non-academic setting, voice what they were missing, and have some fun. Additionally, everyone seemed to enjoy a later start time (9:00 a.m.) and Wednesdays free of structured class obligations. Highlighting the challenges we faced during distance learning as familiar is not to trivialize them, but rather to see promise in our unusual circumstances. Henry Ford once remarked: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse.” It is a reminder that old problems manifested in new ways can be a wonderful catalyst.
SUMMER 2020
> Creating
connections with human moments
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“I CANNOT THANK OUR AMAZING
teachers and administrators enough for all that they have done for our children during this uncertain time. Having boys in each division, it has been so interesting to see how their teachers have
by Scott Votey
implemented new styles of instruction, not
Interim Head of Lower School, 2019–2020
to mention how quickly they pivoted to
In his book Connect: 12 Vital Ties That Open Your Heart, Lengthen Your Life, and Deepen Your Soul, educational psychiatrist Edward Hallowell argues that “human moments”—any time two or more people are together, paying attention to one another—are vital for human growth and a key to student success. Life is difficult. But human moments—connections—are a source of energy and enthusiasm that help us take on the challenges of life. Hallowell refers to this as “the other Vitamin C: Vitamin Connect.” We have been experiencing a particularly challenging time that might be called an unhuman moment—a period of time when natural human connections have been significantly restricted. And I think this time period has both shined a light on the importance of human moments and taught us new ways to overcome this unhuman moment educationally. Within the first week of distance learning, it was clear to us that family relationships would be front and center but that there was also a need for students to have human moments with peers and teachers. To be clear, these new ways did not and cannot take the place of human moments that are “up close.” Our youngest children had difficulty with the concept of only seeing their friends on a screen. In that first week of Zoom meetings, one 4K student asked, “Mom, why do they get to be at school and not me?” But we have learned new ways in which we can create those moments of connection. We made sure that there were daily real time (synchronous) learning opportunities for students.
These were mostly via Zoom. Not only is this an important mode for academic growth, we learned just how important it is socially and emotionally for the students to see each other and talk with each other.
do so. Thank you for keeping them challenged, engaged, supported and on a schedule. Bravo!” — LOWER, MIDDLE & UPPER SCHOOL PARENT
Our teachers also used Zoom to work with small groups and at times one-on-one, giving our students a sense of intimacy and personalization that is a hallmark of our “value-added” Griffin education. There were phone calls to homes and sometimes even visits, albeit socially distanced, that reminded families that our human connections transcend academics. Some of my favorite moments were when I observed the intimacy of family moments bleed into peer moments. I watched siblings join in the Zoom meetings. And I watched siblings and parents take on acting roles in the creation of video projects that will be a source of pride and laughter for decades to come. It has been a difficult time. But as one teacher recently reminded us, “We have the unique ability at Spartanburg Day School to stay well connected and keep our strong relationships growing regardless of the circumstances.”
“THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK
you to the SDS faculty and staff who have worked so hard to keep our students engaged during this unprecedented time. Even our littlest learners are enjoying their daily Zoom sessions with their main teachers and special guests. We love and miss you!” — PRESCHOOL PARENT
16
S K Y LY N E R M A G A Z I N E
Athletics on a Mission
Athletics
Volunteer group sets new goals for Griffin Athletics By Michel Stone SDS Board of Trustees and Parent
In the spring of 2019, during the Day School’s strategic planning process and Coach Joy Couch’s first year as SDS’s athletics director, the Day School formed an ad hoc athletics committee comprised of Coach Couch, parents, faculty and administration from across the school. The purpose of the committee, in addition to serving as a liaison between the athletic department and SDS constituents, was to thoroughly examine our athletic program in order to empower our athletic department to be the best it can be.
Being a Griffin means cultivating the pursuit of excellence, both individually and as a team.
SUMMER 2020
Runner of the Year: Senior Susannah Lyon earned statewide accolade as the 2019 High School Sports Reports’ SCISA AA Girls’ Cross Country Runner of the Year.
Having had three of my own children participate in Griffin athletics, I know firsthand the values and life lessons students gain from being on well-coached teams in a well-run program. The best programs are dynamic, rather than static, and continue to research best practices and evaluate themselves. I’m proud of the work Griffins do to ensure SDS’s athletic program is the best it can be. At our first committee gathering last March, we discussed and identified our athletics program’s strengths and challenges. A theme that rose to the top of that initial meeting was that mandatory participation in SDS athletics for students in grades 7–12 must be a worthwhile experience for every student athlete. To that end, the committee has continued to work under the premise that our athletics philosophy is built on the same bedrock foundation as Spartanburg Day School and that excellence follows from doing the right things, the right ways, for the right reasons. Throughout the past year, the committee has continued to meet roughly once a semester and via email. Through open, ongoing dialogue, the committee determined that the Griffin Athletic Program aims to: · Promote self-discipline, perseverance and responsibility. · Develop teamwork, sportsmanship and competitive spirit. · Cultivate the pursuit of excellence, both individually and as a team. · Build school pride and unity and serve as ambassadors for the school. With the leadership of this committee, our staff of dedicated coaches, and the experience of Athletic Director Joy Couch, a National Coach of the Year, Spartanburg Day School will continue instilling valuable life lessons for our students on and off courts and playing fields for years to come, and that makes this mom proud to be a Griffin and excited about the future of SDS athletics.
Faculty Appreciation Night, Jan. 10: Faculty from all three divisions were honored during halftime of Middle, JV and varsity basketball games at the athletics department’s Faculty Appreciation Night.
Griffin Games, Sept. 26: Athletics teamed up with the Parents’ Community for the first-ever Griffin Games. Parent volunteers served up food and school spirit as fans cheered on Griffin soccer, volleyball and tennis.
Homecoming, Feb. 7: Fans of all ages cheered on the Griffins as they took on Greenwood Christian at the homecoming basketball games!
17
18
S K Y LY N E R M A G A Z I N E
2019 – 2020
Annual Report
ENDOWMENTS General Endowment Fund
734,748
2019–20 Library Book
719,690
2020 Annual Fund
Trowbridge Endowment Fund
143,937
Vicky Strange Faculty Fund Merrie and Gary Clark Faculty Training Endowment Fund
2020 Gala Donation 75,088 1,176,541 71,943 793,343
Roger Milliken Visiting Fellows Endowment Fund
62,491
Harkness Table Endowed Speaker Series
30,333
7% Instructional Support 6% Physical Plant 3% Activities
840 1,000 100
Dorrance Garden Endowment
100
Food Pantry
300
Elaine Freeman Scholarship
Griffin Legacy II Library Fund
6,412,254
Restricted Scholarship Fund
Vision 2020
2,043,589
Restricted Special Project Fund
2,000 423 501,877 250 5,203 99,344
General 5% Endowment
68,746
Seth Milliken Fund
234,000
Dorrance Garden Fund
28,936
Vision 2022 Endowment
905,075
$16,658,067
Vision 2020 Endowment
200,000
2019–20 Total Gifts
$2,536,920
ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS $1,275,525 24,277
ANNUAL FUND GIVING HISTORY 2015
$502,457
2016
502,092
Mike R. Johnson Scholarship Fund
223,891
2017
569,308
Roger Milliken Scholarship Fund
124,930
2018
525,958
Ben Stone Scholarship Fund
96,688
2019
564,117
Elaine Freeman Scholarship Fund
114,191
Jo Woodyard Scholarship Fund
Institutional Support
1,400
Clark Endowment
Griffin Legacy II
Alumni Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund
9%
Ben Stone Scholarship Fund
2,081,606
Spartanburg Day School Scholarship Fund
75% Salaries and Benefits
20 20,870
Athletics
Griffin Legacy I
Total Endowment
EXPENSES:
$564,117
General Endowment Fund
19% Gifts 3% Miscellaneous
2019 Annual Fund
Mildred Harrison Dent Endowment for the Arts
Mildred H. Dent Endowed Faculty Chair
78% Net Tuition Revenue
$2,214,822
Larrabee Endowment Fund
Talbot Halbach-Merz Endowment
REVENUE:
GIFTS
9,425
Christopher A. Dorrance Scholarship Fund
39,433
Gantt Scholarship Fund
3,964
Mildred H. Dent Endowed Scholarship Bristow Endowed Scholarship
1,155,729 123,473
Alli Hoy Scholarship Fund
87,966
Matt Mosley Scholarship Fund
37,091
Total Endowed Scholarships
$3,316,583
UNRESTRICTED Board Designated Endowment
489,224
TOTAL ENDOWMENT ASSETS
$20,463,874
5-Year Total
$2,663,932
SUMMER 2020
19
2019 Annual Fund Donors
TRUSTEE’S CIRCLE ($50,000+) The Trustee’s Circle was established to honor friends whose lifetime contributions to the Annual Fund surpass $50,000. The Alfred Moore Foundation Arcadia Foundation Arkwright Foundation Atchison Transportation Service Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Babb Mr. & Mrs. Vic Bailey III Betty & James K. Stone Foundation Mrs. Margaret Bridges Mr. & Mrs. Chris Cannon Compass Group USA, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Justin A. Converse Mr. & Mrs. Chris Crowley Mr. Frederick B. Dent, Sr.† Mr. & Mrs. Frederick B. Dent, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Chris Dorrance Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Mrs. Elizabeth Floyd† Mrs. David A. Fort† Leigh Fibers, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. David Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Stewart Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Stewart Johnson, Sr. Mr. & Mrs. Paul Lehner Mr. & Mrs. John S. McBride, Jr. Milliken & Company Mr. Roger Milliken† Mr. Kenny Moore & Ms. Susan A. Bridges Morgan Corp Mr. & Mrs. J. Patrick O’Shaughnessy Romill Foundation Dr. & Mrs. Anthony A. Sanchez Spartanburg County Foundation SDS Parents’ Community Mr. & Mrs. Warwick Spencer Mr. & Mrs. Eliot Stone Mr. George Stone† The Rose & Walter Montgomery Foundation Mr. Billy Webster IV Ms. Lindsay Webster
†
Deceased
HEADMASTER’S CIRCLE ($10,000+) The Headmaster’s Circle highlights individuals whose annual contributions are $10,000 or above. The Alfred Moore Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Babb Betty & James K. Stone Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Justin A. Converse Mr. & Mrs. Chris Dorrance Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Mr. & Mrs. David Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Stewart Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Stewart Johnson, Sr. Morgan Corp Mr. & Mrs. J. Patrick O’Shaughnessy Spartanburg County Foundation SDS Parents’ Community Mr. & Mrs. Eliot Stone Mr. George Stone† Ms. Ruth Gray Stone
SKYLYN CIRCLE ($5,000+) Anonymous† Arkwright Foundation Atchison Transportation Service Ayco Charitable Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Vic Bailey III Benjamin & Jaime Wall Charitable Fund Mrs. Margaret Bridges Mr. & Mrs. Chris Cannon Mr. & Mrs. MacFarlane Cates, Jr. Compass Group USA, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Chris Crowley Dr. & Mrs. Ty Dawson Mrs. Phyllis DeLapp Ms. Mabel Hospital Mr. & Mrs. Tom Killoren, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. John S. McBride, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin Wall Mr. Billy Webster Mr. & Mrs. Geoffrey Wilson
VISIONARY CIRCLE ($2,500 +) Mr. Brad Barron & Dr. Sarah Hunt-Barron Benevity Community Impact Fund Mr. & Mrs. William Blackford Mr. & Mrs. Pascal S. Boyd III Mrs. Rachel S. Deems & Mr. Ken Deems Mr. & Mrs. Magruder H. Dent Mr. T. Alexander Evins Mr. & Mrs. Bill Hamilton Mr. & Mrs. Stephen J. Hedges Mr. & Mrs. George Dean Johnson III Mr. & Mrs. Todd Kleman Mr. & Mrs. David Lyon Mr. & Mrs. Robert Lyon Mr. & Mrs. Benji Miller Milliken & Company Mr. & Mrs. John Montgomery Dr. & Mrs. Daniel Norris Mr. & Mrs. Rick Pennell, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Ricky Richardson Roebuck Wholesale Nursery/ Landscaping Mr. & Mrs. Warwick Spencer SwaimBrown Wealth Mgmt The Rose Montgomery Johnston Family Fd Drs. Aaron & Kimberly Toler United Way of the Piedmont, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Mark VanGeison Mr. & Mrs. John F. Verreault III 1957 SOCIETY ($1,957+) Mr. & Mrs. Albert Aiken, Jr. Dr. Kofi Appiah & Dr. Marjorie Boafo-Appiah Mr. & Mrs. Gregory J. Atkins Mr. & Mrs. Victor Barr Mr. Doug & Dr. Julie Cecil Mrs. Elizabeth S. Chapman Mr. & Mrs. Paul J. Coté Mr. Dan Cothran Mr. & Mrs. Frederick Dent, Jr. Mr. Michael Fluegge & Mrs. Kimberly Kent Mr. & Mrs. Charles D. Fogarty
WHY WE GIVE
Once you step foot on the campus, it doesn’t take long to understand the culture of Spartanburg Day School. You immediately realize that there is a community here that empowers our children to reach way beyond what they think they are capable of achieving. Our children have been inspired to learn beyond the classroom. The whole child is challenged, stretched, supported and loved here. Students are taught by exceptional teachers who have the opportunity to explore and extend their teachings through inquiry and imagination. Students are challenged physically through sports, where they learn about teamwork, overcoming obstacles and what it means to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Students are pushed creatively through art and music programs, because creative arts is where one can experience cultural exposure and emotional expression. Students are taught to speak publicly starting in 3K with holiday programs, Lower School research projects and speeches, Middle and Upper School debates and beyond. These students speak easily in public, and confidence is multiplied through this process. Students are taught that kindness is not encouraged but it is expected. Always. They take ownership of their learning, and they are more than ready for college. We give because the faculty and administrators are invested in SDS themselves. They champion our children, stretch their minds, let them fail and applaud their successes. We give because we see the big picture in how our children are growing and learning. Please consider giving to Spartanburg Day School, because when we work together, we can make a bigger impact on our children and our school. Thank you, Louise & David Johnson, parents to Bennett ’28, Bradley ’25 and Houston ’22
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S K Y LY N E R M A G A Z I N E
Ms. Elaine Freeman Mr. & Mrs. Barney Gosnell Mr. & Mrs. Edward Hannah, Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Robert S. Harley Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Hudson J.M. Smith Foundation Dr. & Mrs. Ronald Januchowski Mr. & Mrs. Stewart Johnson Mrs. Pauline Ketchum Mr. Bhargava Kondaveeti & Dr. Rianna Kondaveeti Mr. & Mrs. Ryan Langley Mr. & Mrs. Paul Lehner Dr. & Mrs. Michael Orseck Mr. & Mrs. Ned Page Mr. & Mrs. Rajarshi Patel Mrs. Justine M. Russell Mr. & Mrs. John W. Simon, Sr. Dr. Jeffrey Smith & Dr. Alison Smith Smith Medical Group South Carolina Christian Foundation Mr. & Mrs. James Switzer Dr. & Mrs. Christopher Thomas Mr. & Mrs. Michael Williams
GOLD ($1,500+) Drs. Thomas Ashley & Juliette Saad Mr. & Mrs. Robert Atkins Mr. & Mrs. William Barnet III Mrs. Georgia Ray Blanton Mrs. Anne Brady Carlson & Mr. Jeff Carlson Mr. & Mrs. Tony Cash Mr. & Mrs. Martin Cornelson Drs. E. Levon & Kirsten Eastin Mrs. Alice Eberhardt Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Falatok Mr. & Mrs. Dean J. Garritson Mr. Walter L. Glenn & Ms. Krista Newkirk Mr. & Mrs. John Gramling Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin Graves Mr. & Mrs. Roger Habisreutinger Ms. Mary Lib Hamilton Mrs. Elsa Hudson Mr. & Mrs. George Dean Johnson, Jr. Mr. Tripp Johnson & Dr. April Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Avinash Lawrence Drs. Joseph & Jennifer Lever Dr. & Mrs. Caleb Loring IV Mr. & Mrs. Scott Montgomery Mr. & Mrs. Walter Montgomery, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Will Montgomery Mr. Kenny Moore & Ms. Susan A. Bridges
†
Deceased
Dr. Charles E. Morrow, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Corry Oakes Drs. William & Susan Owens Mr. & Mrs. Charles S. Reid Dr. & Mrs. Gordon Sherard Mr. & Mrs. Brand Stille Dr. & Mrs. Paul Switzer The Rose & Walter Montgomery Foundation Mr. & Mrs. James Fletcher Thompson Mr. & Mrs. John B. White, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Donald Wildman
SILVER ($1,000+) Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Baker Mr. & Mrs. Daniel H. Bradley Dr. & Mrs. Brian Brown Cardiology Consultants, PA Mr. & Mrs. Terry Cash Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Couchell Mrs. Jean Crossley Dr. & Mrs. Mark Ferguson Dr. & Mrs. Charles M. Fogarty Follett College Stores Mr. & Mrs. William Greer Ms. Ann Johnson Mr. & Mrs. John Kopchinski Mr. & Mrs. David R. Meeks Mr. & Mrs. Mark Mezger Dr. Weston F. Milliken New Method Laundry & Cleaners Mr. Reid Wildman Mr. Berkeley W. Young BRONZE ($500+) Mr. & Mrs. Steve Baldwin Mr. & Mrs. Steven Blanton Mr. Todd Cash Dr. & Mrs. Gary Clark Coastal Community Foundation Ms. Katherine Cart Crawford Ms. Mary G. Crowley Dr. & Mrs. John Dunbar Dr. & Mrs. Gamal N. Elnagar Mr. Thomas Engels Mr. Radu Enuica & Dr. Dorotea Gabel Mr. & Mrs. Dan Foster Mr. & Mrs. Ben Friday Mr. Aaron T. Frost Mr. & Mrs. Gary Frost Mrs. Julia Glenn Mr. Jamin Hujik & Dr. Stephanie S. Hujik Mr. Paul Judge & Mrs. Kelly Prichard-Judge Mr. & Mrs. John Lee Mr. Stefan P. Leonhardt Dr. Navid Madani & Dr. Jennifer Madani
Mr. & Mrs. Jesse Myers Mr. & Mrs. Douglas B. Nash Mr. Cary L. Page III Mr. & Mrs. Fredrick G. Phillips, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Gary Pope Mr. & Mrs. Norman Pulliam Mr. & Mrs. Chris Raffo Mr. & Mrs. Marshall C. Rogers Mr. & Mrs. Joel Sansbury Mr. Marcus Sarstrand & Dr. Amy Baruch Mr. & Mrs. Simeon Skinner Dr. John Stockwell & Ms. Diane Vecchio Mr. & Mrs. Chris Stone III Mr. & Mrs. William T. Teel Ms. Mary Anna Lynch Mr. & Mrs. Jay Wakefield Mrs. Lanny Webster † Mr. & Mrs. Nick Wildrick
Mr. & Mrs. Andrew H. Myers Mr. Daniel S. Nava & Mrs. Gabriela R. Cruz Mr. & Mrs. Bryan Overcarsh, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Frank C. Page Ms. Shilpa Patel Mr. & Mrs. Boone Peeler Mr. & Mrs. D. Rex Russell Mr. & Mrs. Val Sawyer Mrs. Susanna Johnson Shannon Dr. & Mrs. Nalin K. Srivastava Ms. Muffy Stuart Ms. Margaret Sullivan Mr. Mark Suter Mr. & Mrs. David Taylor Mrs. Lori Tolbert Ms. Susan Pennell Towson Ms. Celia Weston Mrs. Mary Willis Mr. Jared Wilson
GRIFFIN ($250+) Mrs. Duffy Baehr & Dr. Troy Beavers Mr. & Mrs. Lamar Baehr Mr. & Mrs. Vic Bailey IV Mr. & Mrs. Brandon Beattie Mr. & Mrs. Jay W. Beeson, Jr. Dr. Joseph A. Boscia & Dr. Susan M. Bottone-Boscia Mr. Timothy H. Brannon Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin F. Brown Mrs. Susan Burns Mr. Travis Carroll Dr. Ki Chung & Dr. Rachel Chung Dr. & Mrs. Jeff Cleland Mr. Charles & Dr. Blair Clementson Mr. & Mrs. Gary Coats The Honorable & Mrs. Roger Couch Mr. & Mrs. Ron Evans Dr. & Mrs. Roberto Ferro Dr. Nicholas F. Fleming GE Foundation Dr. & Mrs. Dan Gerscovich Mr. Charles B. Habisreutinger Mr. Lucas Hauser & Dr. Julie Sexeny Mr. & Mrs. Andy Haynes Dr. Boone Hopkins & Dr. Chandra Hopkins Mr. Clyde Hospital III Mr. & Mrs. Chip Johnson Mr. Edward Krauter & Ms. Amy Richards Mr. & Mrs. Manning Lynch Dr. Bradley Martsberger & Dr. Carolyn Martsberger Mr. & Mrs. Drew Monitto
FRIEND (OTHER) Ms. Andrea A. Allison Mr. & Mrs. Bob Allsbrook Mrs. Aixa O. F. Anderson Mr. Scott Anderson Mr. & Mrs. Ron Ary Dr. Nasir Awan & Dr. Sairah Awan Mr. & Mrs. Justin Bailey Mr. & Mrs. Adam Baitsell Ms. Kim Ballenger Mr. Warren Bareiss & Ms. Lizah Ismail Mr. & Mrs. Dick Barnes Ms. Jean Barr Mr. & Mrs. Greg Baur Mr. & Mrs. Bill Beedon Ms. Katie Beeson Ms. Kristy Belcher Mr. & Mrs. Randy Bernard Mr. & Mrs. John Birney Jr. Ms. Elizabeth D. Blackford Mr. & Mrs. Price Blackford Ms. Sydney Blue Mr. & Mrs. Johney Bonds Mr. Paul Bopp & Dr. Kara Bopp Mrs. Stacey Brewer Mr. & Mrs. Michael Brown Mr. & Mrs. Niles H. Brown Mr. & Mrs. Travis Burnham Mr. & Mrs. Nick Buxton Mr. & Mrs. Eric Cable Mr. & Mrs. Paul Camp Ms. Katie Carter Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence Caudle Mrs. Sally Pennell Chambers Mr. & Mrs. Steven Chapman Mrs. Sarah Slater Chesser Class of 2019
Mrs. Katie Clayton & Mr. Bryant Clayton Mr. & Mrs. Eric Cobb Ms. Trish Cobourn Ms. Emily Cart Cochran Ms. Marguerite R. Cochran Mrs. Celia Wise Cooksey Mr. & Mrs. Bradley Cooper Mr. & Mrs. Michael Corbin Mr. Stephenson M. Corbin Mr. John Taylor Cox Ms. Kathleen Crowley Mr. Eric Davis Dr. & Mrs. Kirk Davis Dr. & Mrs. William Davis Mr. Paul Dent Ms. Kathleen Waldenfels Dorman Mr. Michael & Dr. Kim Duckett Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Dunfee Ms. Susan Willis Dunlap Ms. Anne Elliott Ms. Meg Elliott Ms. Nicole T. Engler Mr. Will Ericson Mr. Darryl L. Evans Mr. & Mrs. Jim Evans Ms. Emmy Farrell Ms. Marlene Ferguson Mr. Randall Fernanders Ms. Trisha Fields Dr. & Mrs. Tim Fisher Ms. Elizabeth Flores Ms. Frances Henderson Ford Ms. Danielle Frías Ms. Melinda Byrd Frierson Mr. Matt Garner & Ms. Andrea Ulloa Mr. & Mrs. Tommy Genoble Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Gilman Ms. Katie Glass Lt. Col. Charles B. Gray & Olivia Gray Mr. William Gray Mr. Cardinal Greenidge Mrs. Anne Louise Greer Mr. & Mrs. Cameron H. Greer Mr. & Mrs. Brian Grigg Mr. James K. Hamilton Mr. & Mrs. John Harmon Mr. & Mrs. Brad Harris Mrs. Martha Harris Mr. & Mrs. Lewis Haselwood Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Healy Ms. Lori Hetrick Mr. & Mrs. TJ Hines Ms. Nell Hodge Mr. John Holland Mr. & Mrs. John M. Holmes III Mr. J. Spencer Hopkins Mrs. Ann Hunt Mr. & Mrs. Mitchell Hutchins
SUMMER 2020
IBM Matching Grants Program Mr. & Mrs. Loy Jeffords Ms. Cindy Johnson Mr. Randy Johnson Mr. Andrew E. N. Jones Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Jones Mr. Jeremy Jones & Dr. Katherine Jones Mrs. Cathryn Judile Mrs. Claire Kahane Dr. Brendan Kelly & Dr. Tressa Kelly Mr. & Mrs. Subrahmanyam Kondaveeti Ms. Tina Kurkis Mr. & Mrs. Jose Landa Mr. Henry Lavine Mr. & Mrs. Barry Ledford Mr. & Mrs. Clifford Lee Mr. & Mrs. Demetrios Liollio Mr. & Mrs. Jason Lonon Mr. Alessandro Luz & Ms. Betina Luz Ms. Lucy Lynch Mr. & Mrs. Grant S. MacMillan Mr. & Mrs. William L. Massey Mrs. Jennifer Johnson McClain Mr. & Mrs. Michael McGrath Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Mitchell Mr. & Mrs. Taylor Moody Ms. Danielle Moore Mr. Michael Murphy Mrs. Susan Mussman Ms. Catherine Nazarene Mr. Edgar Norris, Jr. Mrs. Debbie Nowlin Mr. & Mrs. Paul Okuliar Mr. Joseph Omlor & Dr. Helen Maddux Ms. Laura Parrish Ms. Kaylynn Patrick Mrs. Bobbie Pattillo Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Peeler Ms. Paige Phillips & Ms. Ashli Gaines Mr. & Mrs. William Phillips Mr. & Mrs. Richard Pinkley Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Pogue Mrs. Lavonne Powell Mr. & Mrs. Marc Rabb Ms. Catherine Rainey Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Randall Dr. & Mrs. Tod R. Reel Mrs. Sara Edwards Rhinehart Mr. & Mrs. Richard Rhodes Dr. & Mrs. Alex Richardson Mr. Bishop Richardson Mr. & Mrs. Rob Richardson Ms. Zelle Richardson Mr. David Roark & Dr. Kate Roark
Mr. Gary Robinette Ms. Garnett Rodgers Mr. Trey Roehl Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Roush Mr. & Mrs. Jim Rozier Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Segars Mr. Sexeny Sexeny Ms. Leslie Shealy Mrs. Bobbie Jean Shepard Mr. & Mrs. Richard Smith Ms. Jillian Sorrenti Mrs. Lisa Southard Ms. Rose M. Spencer Mr. Sam Spencer Ms. Emily Stauber Mr. & Mrs. Chris Stokes Mr. Robert Strait Mr. & Mrs. Will Strait Mr. David Stramecky & Ms. Barbara Christensen Mr. & Mrs. Dudley Strange Mr. & Mrs. Simon Stricklen Dr. & Mrs. Wallace Taylor Ms. Winn Taylor Mr. Efrem Tekie & Ms. Elizabeth Flores Mrs. Sarah Terrell Mr. Peter Terry Dr. & Mrs. Ralph Tesseneer III Ms. Elizabeth Teter & Mr. John Lane Ms. Joan Tobey Mr. & Mrs. Brian Tolbert Mr. Todd Turner & Mrs. Kelsea Turner Ms. Lee Vasbinder Mr. & Mrs. Scott Votey Mr. & Mrs. Brad D. Wall Mr. John A. Wallace, Jr. Ms. Elizabeth Watson Dr. & Mrs. Kevin Weatherill Mrs. Bonnie Webster Mr. & Mrs. Tom Webster Mr. & Mrs. Frank Weihrauch Ms. Ann Marie Wesneski Dr. Bev Whitmire Mr. & Mrs. Woodrow Willard Mrs. Lee Anne Williams Mr. & Mrs. Termaine M. Williams Mrs. Camilla Wilson Ms. Meg Wilson Ellis Mr. & Mrs. Rand Wilson Ms. Aimee Woodin Ms. Jo Woodyard Mr. Kevin Wynn Ms. Sidni Yelman Mr. Bob W. Yundt
HONORARY DONORS
Mr. Scott Anderson In Honor of Mrs. Meg Elliott & Ava Elliott (2035) Mr. & Mrs. Steve Baldwin In Honor of Mr. Andrew Babb Mrs. Susan Burns In Honor of Everett (2031) & Wyatt (2034) Burns Mr. & Mrs. Gary Coats In Honor of Everett (2031) & Wyatt (2034) Mr. & Mrs. Paul J. Coté In Honor of Mr. & Mrs. Chris Dorrance Mr. Dan Cothran In Honor of Alex, Olivia, & Will Cothran (2023) Mr. Paul Dent
In Honor of Mr. Frederick B. Dent, Jr. Mrs. Alice Eberhardt In Honor of Ebbe (2023) & Reid (2022) Stille Dr. & Mrs. Gamal N. Elnagar In Honor of Gordon Elnagar (2020) Ms. Mary Lib Hamilton In Honor of The Hamilton Family Mr. & Mrs. Lewis Haselwood In Honor of Molly McCuen Sherard (2020) Mr. & Mrs. TJ Hines In Honor of Elliott (2034), JB (2034) & Reid (2030) Hines Mr. & Mrs. John M. Holmes III In Honor of our Grandchildren Mrs. Claire Kahane In Honor of The Sexeny-Hauser Family Mr. Henry Lavine In Honor of Vinne Webster (2020) Mr. & Mrs. Clifford Lee In Honor of Clifford J. Lee III (2034) Mr. Alessandro Luz & Ms. Betina Luz In Honor of Julia (2029) & Melanie (2033) Luz Mrs. Valerie Glenn Massey In Honor of Mr. Chris Dorrance Mr. & Mrs. Taylor Moody In Honor of Caroline (2029), Lily (2027), & Olivia (2029) Mr. & Mrs. Jesse Myers In Honor of Thomas (2022) & William (2026) Myers
Mr. Joseph Omlor & Dr. Helen Maddux In Honor of Rebecca (2005), Matthew (2010) & Jennifer (2010) Omlor Drs. William & Susan Owens In Honor of Lillian (2021), Thomas (2024) & William (2019) Owens Mr. & Mrs. Frank C. Page In Honor of Mr. Frank Page Mrs. Lavonne Powell In Honor of Camden (2026) & Emma (2024) Bridges Mr. & Mrs. Jim Rozier In Honor of The Strait Family Mr. & Mrs. Richard Smith In Honor of Nicholas (2020) & Zachary (2023) Rawlinson Mr. & Mrs. Scott Montgomery In Honor of Scott Votey Ms. Rose M. Spencer In Honor of Mr. & Mrs. Warwick Spencer Mr. Sam Spencer In Honor of Mr. & Mrs. Warwick Spencer Mr. & Mrs. Brand Stille In Honor of Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Babb Ms. Winn Taylor In Honor of Henry (2031) & Mae Mae (2026) Taylor Mrs. Lanny Webster † In Honor of VinneWebster (2020) Dr. Bev Whitmire In Honor of Mrs. Peggy Karpick Mr. & Mrs. Nick Wildrick In Honor of Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Babb Mr. & Mrs. Termaine M. Williams In Honor of Deuce (2026) & Trenton (2030) Williams Mrs. Mary Willis In Honor of Mrs. Vicky Strange Ms. Meg Wilson Ellis In Honor of Charles Wilson MEMORIAL GIFTS
Ms. Patsy C. Arnold In Memory of Mrs. Anne S. Cheney Associated Broker Inc In Memory of Mrs. Anne S. Cheney Mr. and Mrs. Vic Bailey III In Memory of Mr. Frederick B. Dent, Sr. Mr. and Mrs. Michael Ball In Memory of Mr. Frederick B. Dent, Sr.
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Ms. Jeannie Barrett
In Memory of Mrs. Anne S. Cheney Ms. Kristy Belcher In Memory of Ms. Catherine Nolan Ms. Mary Grady Brasington In Memory of Mrs. Anne S. Cheney Mrs. Dolores Brice In Memory of Mrs. Anne S. Cheney Mr. Todd Cash In Memory of Mr. Matt Lawing Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Cheney In Memory of Mrs. Anne S. Cheney Dr. and Mrs. Gary Clark In Memory of Mr. Frederick B. Dent, Sr. Mr. and Mrs. Paul J. Coté In Memory of Mr. Frederick B. Dent, Sr. Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Dent, Jr. In Memory of Mr. Harry Growblewski In Memory of Mr. Michael Lawter Ms. Kathleen Waldenfels Dorman In Memory of Ms. Phyllis R. Waldenfels Ms. Danielle Frías In Memory of Mr. Aicibiades Frías Mr. and Mrs. Ben Graves In Memory of Dr. Jack Keith Dr. and Mrs. Joe Godfrey In Memory of Mrs. Anne S. Cheney Dr. Ross Cheney Groover In Memory of Mrs. Anne S. Cheney Mr. and Mrs. Roger Habisreutinger In Memory of Mrs. Anne S. Cheney In Memory of Mr. Frederick B. Dent, Sr. Ms. Mary Lib Hamilton In Memory of Mrs. Anne S. Cheney Mr. and Mrs. David Hill In Memory of Mrs. Anne S. Cheney Ms. Mabel Hospital In Memory of Mrs. Anne S. Cheney Mrs. Carole Johnson In Memory of Mrs. Anne S. Cheney
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S K Y LY N E R M A G A Z I N E
Mr. Jeremy Jones & Dr. Katherine Jones In Memory of Ms. Janice H. Janiec Mr. and Mrs. Tom Killoren, Jr. In Memory of Mr. Frederick B. Dent, Sr. Mr. and Mrs. Paul Lehner In Memory of Mr. Frederick B. Dent, Sr. Levagood Bookclub In Memory of Mrs. Anne S. Cheney Ms. Kathryn Magnotto In Memory of Mrs. Anne S. Cheney Mrs. Helen Mayson In Memory of Mrs. Anne S. Cheney Mrs. Lucia Meeks In Memory of Mr. Frederick B. Dent, Sr. Mr. and Mrs. Scott Montgomery In Memory of Mr. Frederick B. Dent, Sr. Ms. Jane Painter In Memory of Mrs. Anne S. Cheney Ms. Laura Parrish In Memory of Mr. Frederick B. Dent, Sr. Ms. Catherine Rainey In Memory of Mrs. Anne S. Cheney Mrs. Emily E. Richardson In Memory of Mrs. Anne S. Cheney Mr. and Mrs. Rob Richardson In Memory of Mrs. Anne S. Cheney Morgan and Terry Sowell In Memory of Mrs. Anne S. Cheney Ms. Mary Cheney Stokes In Memory of Mrs. Anne S. Cheney Dr. & Mrs. Ralph Tesseneer III In Memory of Mr. Frederick B. Dent, Sr. Ms. Joan Tobey In Memory of Mr. Frederick B. Dent, Sr. Mr. and Mrs. Donald Wildman In Memory of Mrs. Anne S. Cheney
†
Deceased
PARENT PARTICIPATION BY GRADE
CLASS OF 2020 Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Babb Mr. & Mrs. Lamar Baehr Mr. & Mrs. Michael Ball Mr. & Mrs. Johney Bonds Mr. & Mrs. Steven Chapman Dr. & Mrs. Gamal N. Elnagar Mr. & Mrs. Gary Frost Mr. & Mrs. Tommy Genoble Mr. & Mrs. John Gramling Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Hudson Mr. Randy Johnson Ms. Cindy Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Tom Killoren, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Todd Kleman Drs. Joseph & Jennifer Lever Mr. & Mrs. David Lyon Mr. & Mrs. Charles S. Reid Mr. & Mrs. D. Rex Russell Dr. & Mrs. Gordon Sherard Mr. & Mrs. John W. Simon, Sr. Mr. David Stramecky & Ms. Barbara Christensen Drs. Aaron & Kimberly Toler Mr. & Mrs. Mark VanGeison Mr. & Mrs. Brad D. Wall Mr. Billy Webster CLASS OF 2021 Dr. Nasir Awan & Dr. Sairah Awan Mr. & Mrs. Lamar Baehr Mrs. Duffy Baehr & Dr. Troy Beavers Mr. Brad Barron & Dr. Sarah Hunt-Barron Mr. & Mrs. John Birney Jr. Dr. Joseph A. Boscia & Dr. Susan M. Bottone-Boscia Mr. Todd Cash Mr. & Mrs. Justin A. Converse Mr. & Mrs. Edward Hannah, Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Robert S. Harley Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Jones Dr. Brendan Kelly & Dr. Tressa Kelly Dr. Navid Madani & Dr. Jennifer Madani Drs. William & Susan Owens Mr. & Mrs. Ned Page Mr. & Mrs. Richard Pinkley Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Randall Mr. David Roark & Dr. Kate Roark Mr. & Mrs. Marshall C. Rogers Mr. Robert Strait Mr. & Mrs. James Fletcher Thompson Mr. & Mrs. Brad D. Wall
CLASS OF 2022 Dr. Kofi Appiah & Dr. Marjorie Boafo-Appiah Mr. Todd Cash Mr. & Mrs. Eric Cobb Mrs. Trish Cobourn Mr. Michael & Dr. Kim Duckett Mr. & Mrs. Dean J. Garritson Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin Graves Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Hudson Dr. & Mrs. Ronald Januchowski Mr. Jeremy Jones & Dr. Katherine Jones Mr. & Mrs. Tom Killoren, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. John Kopchinski Drs. Joseph & Jennifer Lever Mr. & Mrs. Jason Lonon Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Mitchell Mr. & Mrs. Andrew H. Myers Mr. & Mrs. Bryan Overcarsh, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Charles S. Reid Mrs. Sara Wolter Rhinehart Mr. & Mrs. D. Rex Russell Mrs. Lisa Southard Mr. & Mrs. Brand Stille Ms. Margaret Sullivan Mr. & Mrs. Mark VanGeison Mr. & Mrs. Nick Wildrick Mr. & Mrs. Geoffrey Wilson CLASS OF 2023 Mr. & Mrs. Gregory J. Atkins Dr. Nasir Awan & Dr. Sairah Awan Mr. Warren Bareiss & Ms. Lizah Ismail Mr. & Mrs. Justin A. Converse Mr. Dan Cothran Mr. Radu Enuica & Dr. Dorotea Gabel Mr. & Mrs. Tommy Genoble Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Gilman Mr. Walter L. Glenn & Ms. Krista Newkirk Mr. & Mrs. Barney Gosnell Mr. & Mrs. Stephen J. Hedges Mrs. Lori Hetrick Mr. Tripp Johnson & Dr. April Johnson Mr. & Mrs. David Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Barry Ledford Dr. Navid Madani & Dr. Jennifer Madani Mr. & Mrs. Michael McGrath Mr. & Mrs. Drew Monitto Dr. & Mrs. Daniel Norris Ms. Paige Phillips & Ms. Ashli Gaines Mr. & Mrs. Richard Pinkley Mr. & Mrs. Chris Raffo Mr. & Mrs. Marshall C. Rogers Dr. & Mrs. Nalin K. Srivastava
Mr. & Mrs. Brand Stille Mr. David Stramecky & Ms. Barbara Christensen Dr. & Mrs. Christopher Thomas Mr. Todd Turner & Mrs. Kelsea Turner Mr. & Mrs. Geoffrey Wilson
CLASS OF 2024 Mr. & Mrs. John Birney Jr. Mr. Michael & Dr. Kim Duckett Mr. & Mrs. John Gramling Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin Graves Dr. & Mrs. Robert S. Harley Mr. Tripp Johnson & Dr. April Johnson Dr. Brendan Kelly & Dr. Tressa Kelly Mr. & Mrs. Demetrios Liollio Mr. & Mrs. J. Patrick O’Shaughnessy Drs. William & Susan Owens Ms. Shilpa Patel Mr. & Mrs. Boone Peeler Mr. & Mrs. Simeon Skinner Mrs. Lisa Southard Mr. & Mrs. Eliot Stone Mr. & Mrs. Simon Stricklen CLASS OF 2025 Mr. & Mrs. Pascal S. Boyd III Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Couchell Dr. & Mrs. Mark Ferguson Mr. Paul Judge & Mrs. Kelly Prichard-Judge Mr. & Mrs. Jose Landa Mr. & Mrs. Avinash Lawrence Mr. & Mrs. Barry Ledford Mr. & Mrs. John Lee Dr. & Mrs. Caleb Loring IV Mr. & Mrs. Scott Montgomery Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Peeler Mr. & Mrs. Will Strait Mr. & Mrs. Brian Tolbert CLASS OF 2026 Dr. Nasir Awan & Dr. Sairah Awan Mr. & Mrs. Victor Barr Dr. Ki Chung & Dr. Rachel Chung Dr. & Mrs. Jeff Cleland Dr. & Mrs. Mark Ferguson Mr. & Mrs. Dean J. Garritson Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Gilman Mr. Jamin Hujik & Dr. Stephanie S. Hujik Mr. & Mrs. David Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Stewart Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Andrew H. Myers Mr. David Roark & Dr. Kate Roark
Mr. & Mrs. Marshall C. Rogers Mr. & Mrs. David Taylor Ms. Winn Taylor Mr. & Mrs. Termaine M. Williams Mr. & Mrs. Geoffrey Wilson
CLASS OF 2027 Dr. & Mrs. Tim Fisher Mr. & Mrs. Brad Harris Mr. & Mrs. Stewart Johnson Dr. & Mrs. Caleb Loring IV Mr. & Mrs. Scott Montgomery Mr. & Mrs. Taylor Moody Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Peeler CLASS OF 2028 Mr. & Mrs. Pascal S. Boyd III Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin F. Brown Mr. & Mrs. Eric Cable Mr. & Mrs. Eric Cobb Dr. & Mrs. Ty Dawson Mr. Radu Enuica & Dr. Dorotea Gabel Mr. Michael Fluegge & Mrs. Kimberly Kent Mr. & Mrs. Charles D. Fogarty Mr. & Mrs. Barney Gosnell Mr. & Mrs. Ryan Langley Mr. & Mrs. Michael McGrath Mr. & Mrs. Mark Mezger Mr. & Mrs. John Montgomery Dr. & Mrs. Michael Orseck Mr. & Mrs. Marc Rabb Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin Wall CLASS OF 2029 Mr. & Mrs. Justin Bailey Ms. Danielle Frías Mr. Matt Garner & Ms. Andrea Ulloa Mr. & Mrs. David Johnson Mr. Edward Krauter & Ms. Amy Richards Mr. Alessandro Luz & Ms. Betina Luz Dr. Bradley Martsberger & Dr. Carolyn Martsberger Mr. & Mrs. John Montgomery Mr. & Mrs. Taylor Moody Mr. Daniel S. Nava & Mrs. Gabriela R. Cruz Ms. Paige Phillips & Ms. Ashli Gaines Mr. Marcus Sarstrand & Dr. Amy Baruch Mr. & Mrs. Simeon Skinner Dr. Jeffrey Smith & Dr. Alison Smith Mr. & Mrs. Simon Stricklen Mr. & Mrs. William T. Teel
SUMMER 2020
CLASS OF 2030 Dr. & Mrs. Mark Ferguson Dr. & Mrs. Tim Fisher Mr. & Mrs. TJ Hines Mr. & Mrs. Ryan Langley Dr. & Mrs. Caleb Loring IV Mr. & Mrs. Grant S. MacMillan Mr. & Mrs. Benji Miller Mr. Daniel S. Nava & Mrs. Gabriela R. Cruz Mr. Marcus Sarstrand & Dr. Amy Baruch Mr. & Mrs. Will Strait Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin Wall Mr. & Mrs. Termaine M. Williams Mr. & Mrs. Michael Williams Mr. & Mrs. Geoffrey Wilson CLASS OF 2031 Mr. & Mrs. Brandon Beattie Mr. Paul Bopp & Dr. Kara Bopp Mr. & Mrs. Eric Cable Dr. Ki Chung & Dr. Rachel Chung Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Gilman Mr. J. Spencer Hopkins Mr. Jamin Hujik & Dr. Stephanie S. Hujik Ms. Ann Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Stewart Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Demetrios Liollio Mr. & Mrs. Will Montgomery Mr. & Mrs. John Montgomery Dr. Jeffrey Smith & Dr. Alison Smith Mr. & Mrs. David Taylor Ms. Winn Taylor Mr. & Mrs. Michael Williams
CLASS OF 2032 Mr. & Mrs. Greg Baur Dr. & Mrs. Roberto Ferro Ms. Danielle Frías Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Healy Mr. & Mrs. Will Montgomery Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Pogue Mr. & Mrs. William T. Teel Mr. Efrem Tekie & Ms. Elizabeth Flores CLASS OF 2033 Mr. & Mrs. Steven Blanton Dr. & Mrs. Brian Brown Mr. Travis Carroll Dr. & Mrs. Ty Dawson Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Falatok Mr. J. Spencer Hopkins Ms. Ann Johnson Mr. Bhargava Kondaveeti & Dr. Rianna Kondaveeti
Mr. Alessandro Luz & Ms. Betina Luz Dr. Bradley Martsberger & Dr. Carolyn Martsberger Mr. & Mrs. Gary Pope Mr. & Mrs. Joel Sansbury
CLASS OF 2034 Mr. & Mrs. Greg Baur Mr. & Mrs. Bryant Clayton Mr. & Mrs. Ben Friday Dr. & Mrs. Dan Gerscovich Mr. & Mrs. John Harmon Mr. & Mrs. TJ Hines Mr. & Mrs. Will Montgomery Mr. & Mrs. Chris Stokes Mr. & Mrs. Brian Tolbert CLASS OF 2035 Mr. & Mrs. Greg Baur Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence Caudle Mr. Charles & Dr. Blair Clementson Mr. & Mrs. Marcus Elliott Dr. & Mrs. Roberto Ferro Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Healy Mr. & Mrs. Ryan Langley Mr. & Mrs. Rajarshi Patel Mr. & Mrs. Richard Rhodes Mr. & Mrs. Joel Sansbury Mr. Efrem Tekie & Ms. Elizabeth Flores Mr. & Mrs. Steven Woodin
Please Let Us Know The development office has made every effort to ensure that the information contained in these pages is accurate & complete. Please note that this report acknowledges the Annual Fund Drive during the calendar year of 2019 (January–December). If you should come across an error or omission, please accept our apologies & advise us of the error by contacting the development office: 864-582-7539, ext. 2015 mimi.killoren@sdsgriffin.org
Alice & Ty Dawson 2019 Annual Fund Chairs Thank you for your leadership and service.
2019 ANNUAL FUND VOLUNTEERS
Alice & Ty Dawson Chairs Misti & Kevin Hudson Co-Chairs Alice Dawson Development Chair Kitsy Babb Sandra Cannon Anna Converse Kerry Ferguson
Laura Gramling Alicia Harmon Misti Hudson Louise Johnson Leigh Anne Langley Mary Stewart Loring Belle Montgomery Laura Montgomery Claudia Player Faith Pope Nickole Teel Sally Thomas
STAFF
Head of School: Rachel Deems Director of Giving: Mimi Killoren Alumni Relations Manager: Sally Spencer Development Assistant: Valerie Massey
2019 Annual Fund Drive Parent Participation by Grade ’20: 58.1%
’28: 66.7%
’21: 55.0%
’29: 61.6%
’22: 65.0%
’30: 53.9%
’23: 66.4%
’31: 59.3%
Want to give?
’24: 66.7%
’32: 40.0%
’25: 48.2%
’33: 57.1%
’26: 53.1%
’34: 50.0%
’27: 41.2%
’35: 52.2%
Visit our website: spartanburgdayschool.org/support Or contact our development office: 864-582-7539, extension 2015 mimi.killoren@sdsgriffin.org
Total 2019 Annual Fund Parent Participation: 52.4%
MATCHING GIFT COMPANIES
Bank of America Matching Gifts Benevity Community Impact Fund GE Foundation IBM Matching Grants Program Milliken & Company
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S K Y LY N E R M A G A Z I N E
Alumni
’79
Lachlan David Cross
BIRTHS: To Tung Giep, a son, Benjamin Bao Giep, on January 11, 2020.
’86 MARRIAGES: Angela Hall Durr
to Guy Tarrance on August 24, 2019.
Caroline Elise Duffy
’88
To Jim Skinner, a daughter, Millie Margaret Lucille Skinner, on April 6, 2020. BIRTHS:
Teagan Rose Albright
’90 MARRIAGES: B.J. Kale to Lindsay Marzoli on April 20, 2019. Nick Wise to Noor Lind on November 2, 2019. Lewis Pack to Leslie Emerson on November 24, 2019.
Cassius “Cass” Gunst Carmody
’91 Russell Bailey Calicutt, Jr.
MARRIAGES: Elizabeth Teague
to Steve Bright on November 9, 2019. ’96
MARRIAGES: Karalyn Emrich to Calum Matheson on May 25, 2019.
’99 MARRIAGES: Laura Andrews to Braxton White on February 17, 2020. BIRTHS: To Phillip Lucier, twins, Aviva and Ezra Lucier, on March 10, 2020.
Keep in touch! This edition shares alumni news submitted through April 2020. Send your news for future editions to: alumni@sdsgriffin.org or facebook.com/SDSAlumni
GRADUATE DEGREES: Fiona Baker
Atkinson received a Master’s in
Elementary Education from the College of Charleston in May 2020. ’00
To Meredith Laughridge Cross, a son, Lachlan David Cross,
BIRTHS:
on June 21, 2019. ’01 MARRIAGES: Nick Lischerong to McKinley Powell on July 8, 2019.
’03
To Ashley VonderBecke, a son, Ian Curtiss VonderBecke, on June 1, 2019. To Melissa Clevenger Duffy, a daughter, Caroline Elise Duffy, on September 30, 2019. BIRTHS:
’04
To Ali Humar, a daughter, Teagan Rose Albright, on March 4, 2020. BIRTHS:
’05 BIRTHS: To Brian Schneider, a daughter, Charlee Lynn Schneider on May 5, 2019. To Becca Barnet, a son, Cassius “Cass” Gunst Carmody, on August 18, 2019. To Becca Omlor Tonozzi, a son, Aidan Desmond Tonozzi, on January 29, 2020. To Leslie Bailey Calicutt, a son, Russell Bailey Calicutt, Jr., on March 7, 2020.
’06 MARRIAGES: Darryl Evans
to Bridget Ansbro on June 8, 2019. BIRTHS: To Bailey Cone Jones, a son, Theodore William Scott Jones, on July 16, 2019. To Lauren Meeks Brown, a son, Hudson Fields Brown, on August 12, 2019. ’07 MARRIAGES: Clay West to Katie West on May 18, 2020. Sarah Barnett to Moe Fadel on October 12, 2019. Whitney Robinson to Austin Dietz ’04 on October 26, 2019. Clancy Stinson to Matthew Bishop on May 16, 2020. BIRTHS: To Sarah Kana Lacey, a son, Henry Kellogg “Keller” Lacey on November 27, 2019. To Virginia Bland Hong, a daughter, Alice Yuna Hong, on March 5, 2020.
’08 MARRIAGES: Amy Devore to Scott Dameron on June 6, 2019. BIRTHS: To Megan Sease Brown and to Hunter Brown ’09, a son, Harry Huntington Brown, on May 30, 2019. To Janine Ashley Henry de Fraham, a son, Felix Georges Saad Henry de Fraham, on July 11, 2019.
SUMMER 2020
’09
’11
MARRIAGES: Jefferson Whisenant
to Waverly Lynch on May 25, 2019. David Truong to Katie Truong on June 29, 2019. Taylor Cox to Stephanny Gonzalez on October 12, 2019. Nathan Marcionette to Hannah Gaters on October 26, 2019. BIRTHS: To Megan Sharpe Hunt, a daughter, Vivian Leigh Hunt, on December 4, 2019. To Emily Kathryn Taylor Ricard, a daughter, Finley Kathryn Ricard, on April 23, 2020. ’10 MARRIAGES: Annelise Weir
to
Eric Hageman on June 8, 2019. Liz Fedalei to Richard Westmoreland on June 20, 2019. Emma Duesterhaus to Adam Whitehill on September 14, 2019. Ansley Gowan to Zach Cash on November 24, 2019. Austin Meeks to Morgan Peterson on March 28, 2020. Matthew Roberts to Kerry McCory on April 25, 2020. BIRTHS: To Seany Swain Urick, a son, Jackson Urick, on July 26, 2019. To Kia Tracy, a son, Easton Michael Landrie, on April 20, 2020. GRADUATE DEGREES: Matthew
Roberts received a Doctor of Medicine degree from MUSC in May 2020.
MARRIAGES: Jessie Greene to Victor Long ’10 on June 29, 2019. Will Whitney to Charlie Mulkin on October 26, 2019. Rachel Cooley
to Rory David on November 16, 2019. GRADUATE DEGREES: Caroline
Greene received a Doctor of
Pharmacy degree from the USC College of Pharmacy in May 2020. ’12 MARRIAGES: Christopher Lacoste
to Makenzie Lacoste on October 5, 2019. Catherine Eve Tisdale to David Enyart on May 2, 2020. GRADUATE DEGREES: Catherine Elliott
received a Master’s in Psychology, Ed.S. and a Master’s in School Psychology degrees from the Citadel, Graduate College of Charleston in May 2020. Catherine Eve Tisdale Enyart received a Doctor of Medicine degree from USC School of Medicine Greenville in May 2020. ’13 GRADUATE DEGREES: Harrison Flynn
received a Juris Doctor degree from the Charleston School of Law in May 2020. Rainsford Reel received a Juris Doctor degree from the Wake Forest University, School of Law in May 2020.
’14 GRADUATE DEGREES: Megan Cassidy
received a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy in May 2020. Julie Cao received a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy in May 2020. ’16
Hudson Fields Brown
Henry Kellogg “Keller” Lacey
To Kira Southard, a son, Malakai Tracy Turner, on March 22, 2020.
BIRTHS:
Felix Georges Saad Henry de Fraham
’17 MARRIAGES: Elliot Cox to Jasmine Webb on March 31, 2020. Kaylee Owens to Jamie White on April 12, 2020.
In Memoriam ALUMNI:
Harwood Beebe III ’71 Sharon Joy Clarkson Amann ’84 Ellen Watters Wilkins ’71 GOLDEN GRIFFINS:
Bob E. Briske Anne Sparks Cheney Mike Knighton Marian Jennings Marty Copenhaver
Easton Michael Landrie
Vivian Leigh Hunt
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S K Y LY N E R M A G A Z I N E
Will Whitney ’11 and Charlie Mulkin
Caroline Greene ’11 received a Doctor of Pharmacy degree
Nick Lischerong ’01 and McKinley Powell
Clay West ’07 and Katie Sikes
Clancy Stinson ’07 and Matthew Bishop
Harrison Flynn ’13 received a Juris Doctor degree
Rachel Cooley ’11 and Rory David
Angela Hall Durr ’86 and Guy Tarrance
The wedding of Jessie Greene ’11 and Victor Long ’10, pictured with their wedding party and SDS alums David Greene ’15, Stephanie Bigman Sweet ’11, Stuart Long ’10 and Derek Long ’04.
Taylor Cox ’09 and Stephanny Gonzales Sarah Barnett ’07 and Moe Fade
Elizabeth Teague ’91 and Steve Bright
Kaylee Owens ’17 and Jamie White
SUMMER 2020
Austin Meeks ’10 and Morgan Peterson with daughter Winry ’32
Liz Fedalei ’10 and Richard Westmorland
Matthew Roberts ’10 received a Doctor of Medicine degree
Whitney Robinson ’07 and Austin Dietz ’04
The wedding party of Annelise Weir Hageman ’10
Christopher Lacoste ’07 and Makenzie Lacoste with brother Richard ’09
Megan Cassidy ’14 received a Doctor of Pharmacy degree
Ansley Gowan ’10 and Zach Cash
Darryl Evans ’06 and Bridget Ansbro
BJ Kale ’90 and Lindsay Marzoli with wedding party
Catherine Elliott received a Master’s in Psychology, Ed.S. and a Master’s in School Psychology degrees
Fiona Baker Atkinson ’99 received a Master’s in Elementary Education
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S SK KY Y LY LY N NE ER R M MA AG GA AZ Z II N NE E
Alumni Highlights Class Reunion
Feb. 7: Mike Stratford ’01 was inducted as the 23rd member of the SDS Sports Hall of Fame during Homecoming festivities. He was introduced by his brother, nominator and fellow alum Bill Stratford ’99.
Nov.12: We were thrilled to welcome back Nina Srivastava ’14 to speak to Upper School students about her part, as a freshman, in creating an honor council at Harvard College. Many of the principles of integrity and trust, Nina said, she learned as a Griffin and from the SDS honor code. Nina graduated from Harvard in 2018 and is now working in the admissions office.
Calling all members of the SDS classes of 1970, 1971 and 1972! Join us for a joint class reunion at this year’s Spring Social, planned for Saturday, May 1, 2021. See you there!
June 19: The Caggiano Memorial Alumni Award is presented to an alum who has distinguished himself or herself on a national or international level, or for one who has made a significant contribution to the life of Spartanburg Day School. This year’s award was presented to honorary alumnus and former SDS headmaster Gary Clark (middle), pictured with alumni Rick Dent ’65 (left) and Bill Hamilton ’79.
Jan. 8: Bonnie Parrott ’16, Julia Thompson ’17, Charles Overcarsh ’18, Ivan Gu ‘18 and Hank Barron ’19 took time to speak with our juniors and seniors about their experience with the college application and selection process, as well as reflections on time spent in college so far.
March 5: Upper School students traveling to New Orleans during Special Studies Week got a chance to catch up with our favorite Pelican and Class of ’18 alum Zion Williamson! Mrs. McGrath said “It was so wonderful to spend some time catching up and sharing a meal. He is still that same genuine and gracious young man that I taught two years ago.”
SUMMER 2020
Match Day, Wedding Bells, and a Medical Degree in the Time of COVID-19 The past few months have undoubtedly been a transformative time for us all, and I certainly never would have expected that three of the most important milestones in my life thus far would have taken place in the midst of a global pandemic. But each of my experiences have been all the more special and enriching due to the unprecedented times in which we are living. Instead of opening my Match letter on March 20th at a big celebration surrounded by my medical school classmates and teachers, I was able to open an email in my grandmother’s kitchen (a place near and dear to my heart), surrounded by my biggest supporters—my fiancé, my parents and my grandparents. I learned that I had matched at my number one choice, the Pediatric Primary Care residency at the University of North Carolina, and I could not have imagined a more perfect way to celebrate that moment. My fiancé, David, and I may not have been able to tie the knot in the large ceremony we had originally planned on May 2nd, but we were determined to still move forward with our marriage. With six honored guests in attendance, a piano player, an incredible officiant, and a beautiful arbor built by David’s father for us to stand underneath, I was able to marry the love of my life in a ceremony that was everything and more than we could have ever asked for—David and I will forever cherish our wedding day, and we look forward to renewing our vows on our one year anniversary with all of our loved ones in attendance.
Instead of graduating from medical school with a traditional commencement on May 8th, the USC School of Medicine Greenville arranged for a drive-through diploma pick up and photo op with cardboard cutouts of our current and former deans. The amount of support I felt from the crowd of professors, faculty and staff who cheered my classmates and me on as we drove through the parking garage that morning was indescribable. I am honored to be able to join the physician workforce at such a pivotal time in healthcare history. Although I will not be on the frontlines beside the internists, critical care doctors and emergency medicine physicians who are caring for COVID-19 patients, I am proud to join the pediatricians who are educating children and their families about this virus, ensuring that patients keep up with their vaccinations, and finding ways to meaningfully connect with and care for children in the growing telemedicine environment. To the SDS Class of 2020: I understand what it feels like to not be able to finish school the way you had envisioned, and to have a different graduation ceremony than the one you had long been looking forward to, but know that the role you have played in the Griffin community is no less important. Your accomplishments and achievements have not gone unrecognized, and I have no doubt that you will find and use something that you have gained from this pandemic, which has taken much from us all, in order to positively impact the college campuses you will soon be joining. Congratulations! —Catherine Eve Tisdale Enyart, SDS Class of 2012
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S K Y LY N E R M A G A Z I N E
Class of 2020
David Stramecky
Will Henderson
University of South Carolina
253 110 applications were submitted to
colleges and universities
Caroline Simon Colorado Boulder
Caroline Wall College of Charleston
93
%
Wallace Chapman Wofford
Asa Davis
Wake Forest
Rollins College
Ben Freedman
Winthrop
Wofford
Caroline Byce
Ben Qian
Anderson
Purdue
Charles Richard
Furman
Sewanee
Haverford
78 26
colleges and universities in
Connor Hammond
Clay Killoren
New York University
Anna Gramling
Autumn Flores
Chad Frost
Charlie Zheng
Clemson
states offered acceptances
Sewanee
Ellie Toler University of Virginia
of seniors were admitted to at least one of their top two colleges
Gordon Elnagar Pomona College
Emma Hay Appalachian State
Esha Rana University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Frank VanGeison University of Georgia
SUMMER 2020
43
Haley Hudson Parsons
Leon Ma Georgia Tech
Congratulations, Seniors!
16
We are proud of you.
Nicholas
Smith Metcalf University of Arizona
High Point
Hannah Babb
Wofford
Richmond
Rachel Summers
Natalie Corbin University of North Carolina, Charlotte
Seth Reid
U.S. Naval Academy
Wofford
Sophia Russell
Tripp Bonds
Grace Kleman
American
Berry
Wake Forest
81
%
Vinnie Webster
Colorado Boulder
Texas Christian University
Parsons
Grace Kelly
Molly Sherard
Vance Lever
Amelia Hrebenar
different colleges and universities in
Maggie Genoble
University of Alabama, Huntsville
Auburn
Clemson
University of Georgia
Tashler Greene
Susannah Lyon
Taylor Ball
states plus Washington, D.C.
Wofford
Wofford
Parsons
31
Rachel Johnson
Rawlinson
Alston Gao
seniors will soon be attending
of seniors received scholarship offers
$8,200,000 in scholarships awarded over a 4-year period
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S K Y LY N E R M A G A Z I N E
Our last day of school
Last Word
By Ellie Toler ’20 Student Body President, Class of 2020
A
s a shy 4Ker beginning my first day at SDS, I never could have imagined myself as student body president. A lot has changed over the years, but deep down, I am still that same shy 4Ker today. I still do not enjoy drawing attention to myself and often prefer listening to speaking. But what has fostered my growth, from a timid four-year-old to who I am today, is the amazing SDS community. As I progressed through the halls of SDS, my teachers along the way recognized qualities I never realized I had. And because they identified these abilities and encouraged me to embrace the meaning of leadership from such a young age, I had the confidence to pursue leadership roles in many different areas of my life as I got older. In the process of developing these skills and investing further in my community, I unknowingly entered the whirlwind of time that I’ve learned accelerates as you get older. Before I knew it, my classmates and I were applying to college and beginning all the “last firsts” of our SDS career together. Moments of senior year were exciting, sentimental, and above all, moving at a rapid pace. But then it stopped. In a matter of days, our world came to a screeching halt with the outbreak of COVID-19 in the U.S. And while I’d like to address this experience with some profound takeaways, that’s not completely realistic. Because we’re all still experiencing the effects of this event and processing how it feels. Cleaning out our lockers on Friday, March 13th, was unsettling and surreal because no one knew if it would be our last day of school. Although our teachers were likely experiencing the same feelings of fear and confusion that we were in those early weeks, they have been such a stable, calming force
throughout this time of seemingly suspended reality, truly embodying the phrase “Courage is grace under pressure.” They have acknowledged that this sudden upending of our lives has not changed who we were when we went into this, nor who we will be when we come out of it. Through making videos, surprising us at our houses, and sending us encouraging messages, they’ve reinforced to us that despite the way that moments we’d envisioned have become completely different, this disruption does not define where we have come from or where we are going. In normal times, teachers serve as the fulcrum between your present and your future selves, as they know you and your potential to succeed better than almost anyone. However, during the pandemic, the teachers have taken on a vital new role in connecting us to our past and our future. They’ve shown us how to reconnect with who we were and what we want for our future. In this process of reconnecting, I have witnessed an incredible amount of resilience in all of us. And so, as my senior year comes to a different close than I had once imagined, I want to express my deepest gratitude and love for all of the faculty members who have guided me along the way and shown me how to have courage and compassion, not only during difficult times, but in my years well beyond SDS.
Remember when‌
The Spartanburg Day School science department, as pictured in the 1982 Delta yearbook, setting their sights for the stars. Recognize that familiar smile beside the telescope? That’s Ms. Lee Vasbinder, who retired just this year after 39 years of teaching.
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