Please join us to support the Varsity Soccer Team at the next PQV Night on April 21!
Thank you for following this month’s Panther Recap. Stay connected with @AshleyHallPanthers for ongoing highlights, announcements, and stories from across our athletic community. PQV, Panthers!
From their first days on campus, our youngest learners are thoughtfully connected to the life and work of Ashley Hall, invited into shared experiences that help them see themselves as part of something larger. Our work with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals provides a new lens, reminding us that even our youngest students can engage with meaningful global ideas. In this piece, Tyler Moseley, our Community Partnerships and Global Education Coordinator, offers a closer look at how these connections come to life through relationships, partnerships, and the everyday experiences of our Early School classrooms.
This year, our school-wide commitment to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals invited us to consider what it means to engage even our youngest students in work that is inherently global. Rather than simplifying these ideas, we grounded them in lived experience. Sustainability became something children could see, touch, and influence—from composting and conserving water to participating in food drives, exploring where food comes from, and caring for shared spaces. These were not isolated lessons, but meaningful contributions to a collective effort unfolding across the entire school.
This work is made possible through relationships. Partnerships with organizations such as the Lowcountry Food Bank, local parks, the Marsh Project, MUSC, and collaborations with other divisions like the Lower School Bee Club extend the classroom into the wider Charleston community. Equally vital are our families, who bring their expertise and passions into the school, helping children connect their questions to real-world contexts. In the Early School, learning is not contained within four walls—it is co-constructed through a network of relationships that expands what is possible.
One class’s study of airplanes offers a window into this process. What began as a spark of curiosity grew into model-building, conversations with pilots, and explorations of maps and global travel. Through community connections, an idea took flight—expanding from a single interest into a broader understanding of how people, places, and systems are interconnected.
These experiences are woven into the fabric of each day. From shared meals and conversations that build belonging, to collaborative inquiry and reflection, children are constantly practicing what it means to be part of a community. They learn that their ideas matter, that their actions have impact, and that they are connected to something larger than themselves.
By intentionally looping Early School students into the work of the broader campus, we cultivate more than knowledge—we nurture a sense of agency, empathy, and responsibility. Community becomes the classroom, and in that classroom, children begin to understand themselves as citizens of a shared and ever-expanding world.
Tyler Moseley
Community Partnerships and Global Education Coordinator
Join us for PQV Nights to cheer on Ashley Hall Spring Athletic teams.
Let’s go, Panthers!
When: 5 P.M. on Tuesday, March 31 (Lacrosse) and Tuesday, April 21 (Soccer)
Where: Ashley Hall Athletics Complex (3289 Plow Ground Road, Johns Island, SC 29455)
What: Wear your purple and white to cheer on our athletes! Light concessions will be available for purchase.
PQV Nights Schedule:
4:45 p.m. | Get your pom poms! Pawley the Panther will be welcoming the crowd
4: 50 p.m. | National Anthem + Lineup
5: 40 p.m. | Half-time Fun with Pawley!
Post game | Team meet and greet and poster signing
Ashley Hall Day of Giving
March 19, 2026
Join the many Ashley Hall families, alumnae, trustees, faculty, and friends as we unite to celebrate our School by supporting the Loyalty Fund on Giving Day 2026! Your generosity fuels each Ashley Hall student’s academic excellence and exceptional learning experiences.
Ashley Hall’s Middle and Upper School students spent a recent morning exploring big questions, bold ideas, and exciting career paths during this year’s STEM Day. It was a dynamic celebration of science, technology, engineering, and math that highlighted not just what our students can do, but who they can become.
The day began with a full-panel session featuring an impressive group of leaders from fields spanning pediatric neurology, aerospace engineering, AI, environmental science, cybersecurity, water quality, design, and engineering leadership. Student moderators guided the conversation with thoughtful, probing questions that brought out personal stories, unexpected career paths, and practical advice.
Dr. Lela Lewis, Division Chief of Pediatric Neurology at the Medical University of South Carolina shared a vivid childhood memory of her mother (also a physician) bringing home a sheep’s brain after teaching a hospital class; a moment that sparked her lifelong fascination with the human brain. “Seeing a child’s development over time and how the brain changes over time has always been fascinating to me,” Dr. Lewis shared. That early curiosity led her through medical school, Air Force service, and advanced training at Johns Hopkins, and ultimately to her leadership role at MUSC. Her story was a powerful reminder that big careers often begin with small moments of wonder.
Students also heard from Rebecca Gleason, Head of Global Industry Engagement for AI & Business Messaging at Meta, whose path to tech leadership was anything but traditional. A liberal arts major who didn’t grow up dreaming of a career in AI, Ms. Gleason emphasized that success in STEM isn’t limited to one specific degree or background. “No matter what degree you choose to pursue, the most important thing you can do is be able to communicate with people in a language they can hear,” she said. A message that resonated deeply with students who are considering how their own interests might intersect with STEM fields.
The panel showcased a remarkable range of expertise. Dr. Lynn Sargent, a structural analysis engineer at Boeing, spoke about research and innovation in aerospace and AI-driven digital transformation. Cole Rise, Director of Design for Microsoft AI and designer of the original Instagram icon, shared how creativity and technology intersect in powerful ways.
From The Citadel, Dr. Deepti Joshi, Dr. Shadi Sadeghpour, Dr. Farhath Zareen, and Dr. Nahid Vesali highlighted cutting-edge work in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, bioinformatics, engineering leadership, and machine learning, and emphasized the importance of undergraduate research and mentorship.
Environmental leaders also took the stage. Allison Montgomery, Conservation Planner at Westervelt Ecological Services, described using data-driven analysis to protect wetlands and natural resources. Olivia Flynn, Environmental Engineer and Associate Vice President at Hazen and Sawyer, and Guinn Wallover of Mount Pleasant Waterworks, demonstrated how engineering and environmental science directly impact community health and sustainability.
Rounding out the healthcare perspective, Lauren Fogelgren, Head of Health Services at Ashley Hall and a practicing physician assistant, connected clinical care with evidence-based practice and compassion, reminding students that STEM careers are ultimately about improving lives.
After the morning panel, students broke into grade-level groups for smaller, more interactive sessions. These in-depth conversations and hands-on activities allowed students to dive deeper into topics like AI ethics, water treatment systems, cybersecurity threats, neurological research, and engineering project management. The smaller setting created space for candid questions, mentorship, and meaningful dialogue about internships, college majors, and work-life balance.
Throughout the day, one theme rose above the rest: there is no single path into STEM. Whether sparked by a childhood memory, a love of the outdoors, a passion for problem-solving, or an interest in storytelling and design, each panelist demonstrated that curiosity, resilience, and communication are just as important as technical skill.
STEM Day at Ashley Hall did a wonderful job of highlighting the different career options available to students, but it was also about possibility. It was a celebration of leaders in complex, innovative fields and an invitation for our students to imagine themselves doing the same.
Technology is everywhere; new tools and AI features are appearing daily. Some celebrate these innovations as ways to expand access to skills like coding and design. Others raise important questions about well-being and the impact of screens on young children.
In the Early School, we begin with a different question: How can technology become a language for thinking? When used thoughtfully and intentionally with our youngest learners, technology is not entertainment. It is not a pacifier. It is not a replacement for blocks, clay, paper, light, or books. Instead, it lives alongside these materials as another expressive language; one that allows children to research, design, document, test theories, and share their thinking.
Tools for Inquiry, Not Distraction
When many people hear “technology,” they immediately think of screens. In our classrooms, however, technology includes microscopes, projectors, light tables, 3D printers, and cameras. These tools are present in ways that invite exploration and provoke questions.
It is a joy to watch children experiment with shapes on the light table, noticing symmetry, transparency, and pattern. In the fall, I observed projectors casting images connected to classroom investigations. In one room with students who were studying trees, projected images extended the children’s thinking. Together, we discussed how iPads could be used as tools for photography. The class took a “field trip” to Senior Lawn to explore point of view—crouching low, stretching tall, capturing bark texture, branches against the sky, and shifting light.
The iPad became a research tool. A storytelling tool. A way to revisit and reflect. The lesson was simple but powerful: technology is something we use with purpose. It is active, not passive.
Making, Building, Coding
In another classroom, children were exploring building and visited our growing maker space in the library to see 3D printers in action. Watching a design move from digital concept to physical object sparked questions about structure, stability, and process. The printer was not the focus, the thinking was.
Early coding is happening, too. When children work with some of these tools, they are not “just pressing buttons.” They are predicting outcomes, sequencing steps, revising plans, and persisting through challenges. Coding becomes an exercise in logic, collaboration, and problem-solving.
The same is true when children enter the Star Lab or use digital tools to document their discoveries. They are testing hypotheses. Communicating ideas. Engaging in design thinking.
Modeling Thoughtful Use
Our children are always watching us. They see adults using phones to send messages, search for information, FaceTime family, or ask digital assistants questions. Technology is already embedded in their world. Our responsibility is to model intentional, balanced use.
Teachers may choose to use iPads for documentation or music with intention. Children see the use of devices with clear purpose, to photograph an investigation, record observations, or share their learning with others.
The Library as a Hub of Innovation
Our library continues to evolve as a vibrant hub where books, materials, and digital tools intersect. The maker space, Star Lab, and research tools live alongside stories, natural materials, and studio spaces.
Children move fluidly between media: sketching a design, building with blocks, investigating for research, and projecting images to spark discussion. The boundaries between “digital” and “hands-on” dissolve. All of it is learning. All of it is language. In a world filled with screens, our goal is not to shield children from technology nor to immerse them in it. Instead, we guide them in using it thoughtfully.
When technology is treated as a language for thinking, it becomes what it was always meant to be: a medium for invention, imagination, and connection.
Ashley Hall is a K-12 independent school for girls, with a co-ed preschool, committed to a talented and diverse student population. We consider for admission students of any race, color, religion, and national or ethnic origin.
