Experiential learning is a core part of Ashley Hall’s curriculum, and first graders tend a garden each year to enhance their study of a plant’s life cycle and what it needs to survive. While past efforts have yielded little because of shady growing conditions, this year Lower School faculty member Beth McCarty had a bright idea. For her students, success never tasted so sweet!

“This year we are trying rolling raised beds so we can move the plants to an optimal growing area with the right amount of sunlight,” noted McCarty. “A hands-on garden shows the students where their food comes from and how much time and energy goes into each bite of food they take! Now when students go to the grocery stores, they know how these fruits and vegetables got to the shelves. Hopefully it also encourages students to be less wasteful when eating meals.”

Having already planted strawberries, kale, broccoli, chives, lemon thyme, dill, basil, lima beans, and of course purple and white pansies, students eagerly anticipate eating from the garden year-round and changing the crops with the seasons. “They were all very excited about the strawberries,” emphasized McCarty. “One plant already has two strawberries and one flower about to become a strawberry. It is great for them to see the plant life cycle in action and then of course eat the end result!”

This year, eighth graders have a new tool in helping them develop a positive self-image and view themselves as potential future heroes. Guided by Upper School faculty member Leslie Rowland-Yeh, each student is completing her own Hero’s Journal, which is connected to their year-long study of heroes and the hero’s journey. “Each day, students write in their journals about their progress on their chosen quest for self-improvement,” noted Rowland-Yeh. “They identify allies who will help them on their quest and enemies who may hinder them. Each day, they list three things they are grateful for and three things they need to do that day to make progress on their quest. Research has shown that practicing gratitude can improve daily mental health, and this is one more way Ashley Hall demonstrates its commitment to socio-emotional learning.” Let the journey commence!

“Ashley Hall Honors Women’s Right to Vote,” a presentation by History Department faculty member Chris Frisby

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Ashley Hall is proud to host “100 Years After the 19th Amendment: Their Legacy, and Our Future,” a traveling exhibit by the American Bar Association (ABA) and the Library of Congress that honors the women’s suffrage movement. On campus through early October, this award-winning exhibit features photographs of historic documents and artifacts and details the story of the battle for ratification and the challenges that remain. Students will interact with the exhibit during several special events held in the coming days.

“The centennial anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment gives state and local bar associations, lawyers, judges and other legal professionals, educators, and civic organizations the opportunity to celebrate 100 years of women’s constitutional right to vote, to educate the public about the Nineteenth Amendment and the battle for women’s suffrage, and to promote law that ensures women’s full and equal exercise of their right to vote and to participate in our democracy,” the ABA noted.

History Department faculty member Chris Frisby addressed students on the lasting importance of the 19th Amendment and its relevance to both their present and future selves. “I hope you will take time these next few days to pause to review the interpretive banners and reflect on the history of a movement that has profoundly shaped and benefited your own lives,” he said. “When we think and speak about the 19th Amendment, I always encourage students to work from the idea that women earned the right to vote through the 19th Amendment. I discourage students from making statements like, ‘The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote.’ This seemingly small difference matters. I do this because it is critically important to acknowledge the agency of women in working to advance their own rights.” (Watch his presentation by clicking the link above).

As an all-girls’ school founded a decade prior to women gaining the right to vote, Ashley Hall’s history is uniquely tied to the suffragist movement. The School’s founder, Mary Vardrine McBee, was active in the first Women’s Suffrage Organization in South Carolina. “For me personally, it’s really created this kind of drive at the School to continue that legacy, the legacy of advocacy, of being grounded in community and place, of understanding the importance of beauty in the lives of everyone, what it means to be a citizen and civically responsible, not only for ourselves but for others,” said Head of School Jill Muti, who discussed the Nineteenth Amendment and the path ahead for the female leaders of tomorrow as part of the Post and Courier’s “We the Women” series.

Ashley Hall plans to continue its celebration of the 100th anniversary throughout the year.

Read more about Ashley Hall’s celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment

The essence of any school is found in its values, and Ashley Hall’s Honor Pledge is embedded deeply within its community: “I pledge that I will not lie, cheat, or steal nor tolerate those who do.” For the last two weeks, Intermediate Program and Upper School students have been challenged to think deeply about the place of honor within their own lives and the ways in which they uphold this most vital promise to themselves and others. “During times of caution and change, it’s easy to lose sight of the morals and values that bind this great school together, and that is why the Honor Code is so vital,” said Head of the Honor Council Kayla Kirkland ’21. “My goal is to make sure that this school year, though it looks so different than years past, remains true to the same values that Ashley Hall has always embodied.”

Having investigated the meaning behind each of the School’s Hallmarks throughout Lower School, Intermediate Program students are fully prepared to take the next step. “At this age, the responsibility of making a pledge to uphold our school’s Honor Code is truly significant to them and goes along with a deeper understanding of what it means to be an honorable person,” noted Intermediate Program faculty member Olivia Hipp ’10. For the first time, students at this age are asked to sign their name to the pledge, both as a commitment to upholding its tenets and as an acknowledgement of honor’s central role in their life. “I think that the students learn early on the Hallmarks which are built on our foundation of honor,” emphasized Intermediate Program Coordinator Mary Schweers. “We go over the pledge with them and ask them moving forward to write it on their tests so that we are embedding and promoting a culture of honor because it is a cornerstone of our entire community, and it is what sets Ashley Hall apart.”

In the Upper School during each day’s Morning Meeting this week, students have focused on a different element of the Honor Pledge in preparation for their signing of the pledge. As part of their virtual assembly on Wednesday, they listened to Upper School faculty member Andrea Muti, the keynote speaker for Honor Week, who offered a moving and inspirational look at honor’s place within a community and its role in his own development of character and integrity. He emphasized:

“I learned that role models are not individuals that always seek the attention of their peers but leaders who lead their community in silence because their actions speak for themselves. I learned that making mistakes is human, but we can stand up with dignity if we have the courage to take responsibility for our actions. Finally, I learned that the most honorable people are not those who seek honor for their personal glory but those who, while leading honorably and following their conscience, expect the same from the people around them. They are not scared to let you know that you are wrong because they see the potential inside of you and sincerely want you to be the best version of yourself.”

“When we have the fortune, ladies, of finding a community like Ashley Hall, made of individuals who support us and value us for who we are, we have the duty to protect it and place it before our individual needs. So when you sign the Honor Pledge and you promise that you will not cheat, lie, nor tolerate those who do, remember that you not only commit to honorable behavior but also become part of a larger community that loves you, that believes in you, and that trusts that with your actions you will shape and inspire the integrity of your little sisters. After all, this is exactly what a tradition is: committing, generation after generation, to the same shared principles and values, so that when you one day leave Ashley Hall to go to college, your honor and examples will continue to live reflected in the actions of those who will come after you.”

That enduring legacy of honor continues to bind Ashley Hall’s many generations, both those who have gone before and those still to come.

Having one’s own space to create is crucial in the pursuit of art, and for Visual Arts faculty member Nancy Langston, envisioning and constructing such spaces are powerful reminders of art’s ability to dismantle stereotypes. A natural builder with her spatial skills and aptitude for visualization, Langston often draws on construction techniques in her art and in turn builds to channel her creative impulses. “I’ve renovated several houses in Charleston, and the process is similar to creating sculptures,” she notes. “In many ways, it is easier because the outcome is a known and measured entity.” This summer, Langston drew on that same ability to create a unique and inviting campus space for her students: Their very own “She Shed.”

The idea began several years ago when Langston transformed her backyard with an outdoor open-air painting/sculpture studio. “It started as a 12′ x 12’4 post and metal-roofed structure and evolved into a 14′ x 30′ outdoor studio oasis complete with ceiling fans, lighting, a sitting area, speakers, a mural on the floor, bricked paths, a fire pit, and gardens,” she explained. “Working with the sights and sounds of nature is uplifting, enlivening, and inspiring to creativity. Knowing how it makes me feel to create in an open-air space, I have long wanted to build a space like this for the girls in my classes, and with the pandemic and the need for social distancing and fresh, uncontaminated air, I saw an opportunity.”

With the School’s approval of her building plans and sketches, Langston immediately went to work and completed the project over the course of two weekends. “I would be remiss if I were not to give a big shout out to my husband, David, who cheerfully assists in my projects,” she enthused. “He is a technology account manager by profession, not a builder, but he too loves the challenges, from digging post holes to wiring the lighting, such projects present.”

Stocked with pottery wheels, tables, and chairs, the “She Shed” could not have arrived at a better time. “Being in the elements sparks my curiosity and makes me appreciate nature and breathing so much more,” said Dorothy Fort ’22. Many students expressed a similar appreciation for the chance to create out-of-doors. “Being within four walls sucks the living life out of me,” exclaimed Bryce Turberville ’21. “I’m more motivated when I’m outside.” For Langston, offering her students the gift of their own space for creativity is both practical and inspirational as they build their own futures. “They were a bit shocked when I told them that I built it,” she smiled. “The construction workers on campus had the same reaction.  I look forward to a time when it is commonplace for folks to accept that a woman can have construction skills.” 

What does it mean to be great at math? For sixth graders in Intermediate Program faculty member Kelly Brinson’s class, their approach to this question can influence their perception of their ability, as well as themselves, for the rest of their lives. “I think it is important for students to have the confidence that they can do anything,” emphasized Brinson. “One of the great myths of all time is that being ‘good’ in math is a gift and something that you either have or you don’t have. I’ve had students come into my room at the beginning of the year and tell me ‘I am not a math person. I can’t do this.’ Of course, that is not at all true, but squashing that mindset is the first thing that has to happen.”

To combat any preconceived negative connotations, Brinson purposely began her classes this year by asking her students to draw on both their strengths and weaknesses to redefine what makes a good mathematician. Working virtually for the first two weeks, her students used the Padlet app to offer their thoughts, acknowledge their doubts and biases, and share their budding confidence. “I can do math pretty well, but I don’t know all the answers,” wrote Lillie Jackson ’27. “I think to be a math person you have to be willing to pay attention in class and study a lot so you know and can learn all the answers.” Agreeing with her classmate, Genevieve Gouvernet ’27 noted, “You need to be open to learning and open to new ideas. To put it simply, you just need to have the passion for learning to be a ‘math person.’”

Many students’ posts reflected Brinson’s lesson of perseverance. “I also think that being great at math doesn’t just mean that you are smart; it also means that you don’t give up even if everyone else does,” wrote Belle Raffle ’27. For Brinson, such beliefs are the first step in the right direction. “I wanted to give my students a voice immediately, even if it was through a virtual means using Padlet, so they could be ‘heard,” she said. “It also has allowed me a way to connect and get to know them better.” That certainly is an equation for success.

Did you know? According to the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, girls’ school grads are six times more likely to consider majoring in math, science, and technology compared to girls who attended coed schools.