Welcome to Panther Recap—your look at the latest moments, milestones, and momentum across Ashley Hall Athletics. January brought exciting wins, individual achievements, and meaningful steps forward for several Panther programs.
Basketball Earns Key January Victory
We begin on the court, where Panther Basketball secured an important January win over North Charleston, defeating the Cougars 44–33. The victory marked a special milestone for the program, as it was Coach Bryan Bednar’s first win as head coach at Ashley Hall. A memorable moment and a strong step forward for Panther Basketball.
Equestrian Qualifies Riders for Regionals
The Equestrian team delivered a standout performance in St. Simons, Georgia, where multiple Panthers qualified for Regionals in North Carolina. The weekend reflected the team’s continued growth and dedication, positioning them well as the season progressed.
Archery Reaches New Heights
Archery continued its impressive run with 12 personal-best scores recorded at a recent tournament. One performance stood out in particular—senior Ella McCall shot a perfect score of 50 at the Lowcountry Shuffle Archery Tournament. The achievement marked a remarkable highlight in her senior season and underscored the program’s consistent excellence.
Looking Ahead
Several Panther teams will be back in action as winter athletics continue:
Basketball will play its final home game of the season on February 5 against PCA
Archery will compete in the State Qualifier at Northwood on February 7
Track and Field will open its season at James Island on February 21
Lacrosse will begin the 2026 season on the road at Academic Magnet on February 25
Equestrian will compete in Timmonsville on February 28
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!
Each year in early June, Ashley Hall students have the opportunity to take part in a truly immersive and life-changing experience through our Summer French Immersion Trip to Switzerland. This program invites students to step beyond the classroom and into daily life abroad—building language skills, confidence, and global connections that last a lifetime. This unique program is a family stay experience, pairing each student with a local host family in Switzerland. During their stay, students attend a local school, where French is not just a subject—it is the language of everyday life. From classroom discussions to meals at home, students are fully immersed in the language and culture, gaining authentic exposure that simply cannot be replicated at home.
For many students, this level of immersion is where learning truly comes alive. As one current student reflected, “These experiences made everything feel a lot more real and impactful. French suddenly became not just a class that I’m going to, but a language and an experience and something that I know that I can do in my future because I’ve already done it.” Moments like these mark a turning point—when students begin to see themselves not just as learners of a language, but as confident users of it.
The experience is intentionally challenging and deeply rewarding, regardless of a student’s current level of French. Students are challenged to stretch themselves in meaningful ways academically, socially, and personally. The same student shared, “My advice would be to go on the trips and go all-in. Do all the stuff, do everything. It is hard to travel a lot of the time, but when you’re done, you feel so accomplished because you know that you put so much into it and you know that you got so much out of it.” That sense of accomplishment—of meeting a challenge head-on and rising to it—is one of the most powerful outcomes of the program.
Beyond language acquisition, the Summer French Immersion Trip reflects the broader value of travel as an essential part of learning. This idea is explored further in a recent episode of Ashley Hall’s new podcast, We Are Ashley Hall, available for download here. The episode highlights how immersive travel experiences enrich academic learning, foster independence, and help students see themselves as capable, engaged global citizens—providing meaningful context for why experiences like this are such a vital extension of classroom education.
Just as importantly, the trip fosters meaningful relationships—both abroad and within our Ashley Hall community. Students form lifelong connections with their host families, make friendships across the globe, and strengthen bonds with classmates and fellow Ashley Hall peers. It is an experience that aligns beautifully with our mission to empower girls to take intellectual risks, build confidence, and engage thoughtfully with the world.
Families interested in learning more can find additional details and a sample itinerary on the Learning Commons, under the Travel Program Resource Board. We invite students and families to inquire and begin the conversation about this unforgettable summer opportunity—one that challenges, inspires, and leaves students knowing they can do hard things.
A Quarterly Reflection from Dr. Anne T. Weston ’73
At Ashley Hall, each day brings new moments of discovery, connection, and growth. In this installment of The View from the Head’s Office, Head of School Dr. Anne Weston offers a window into the ideas, conversations, and experiences that shape the journey of every Ashley Hall student.
Strength in Community, Confidence in Growth
By Dr. Anne Weston
As we step into a new calendar year and ease ourselves back into the routine of life at Ashley Hall, I want to begin by wishing you a very happy New Year and thanking you for your continued commitment to our School. This season of transition—from rest back into rhythm—offers a natural moment to pause and reflect on the strength, spirit, and shared purpose that define our community.
Over the past few months, I have had the special gift of spending extended time with my own adult daughters. Watching them step more fully into themselves has been a powerful reminder of what it means to raise strong women—and how fortunate our students are to be surrounded by families and educators who believe so deeply in their potential. You are helping to build the future for a generation of brave, thoughtful, capable young women, and it is a privilege to partner with you in that work.
Across every division at Ashley Hall, I see that future taking shape each day. Our students are growing in confidence, curiosity, and character—supported by faculty who know them deeply and challenge them to reach their full potential. It is a joy to watch our girls progress through each stage of their Ashley Hall journey, developing the skills, self-assurance, and sense of purpose that will carry them forward.
Recently, I sat down with the Ninth Grade Student Council and asked them a simple question: What do you love most about the Upper School? Their answers were thoughtful, honest, and remarkably aligned. They spoke of community and support—of feeling known and valued. They shared how relationships expand in Upper School, as they mix more across grades and within their own class, and how they are met with an appropriate level of challenge that stretches them without being overwhelming.
Again and again, they returned to the importance of their relationships with teachers—relationships built on trust, respect, and genuine care. At Ashley Hall, those connections are foundational. Our faculty understands how to spark curiosity, guide students through moments of uncertainty, and help them develop the confidence to work through challenges independently. That combination of high expectations and unwavering support is, I believe, what truly sets the Ashley Hall experience apart. More of the same sentiments were beautifully captured in a recent Upper School video, which was created to support the current admission season as we work to attract new students to the Upper School. I hope you’ll take a moment to watch it and that it helps you understand how special the Ashley Hall experience truly is for our students.
In conversations, classroom visits, and quiet moments across campus, I see students taking intellectual risks, advocating for themselves, collaborating, and asking the kinds of questions that signal deep engagement. They are not only preparing for college; they are preparing to lead lives of empathy, resilience, and purpose. As Head of School, nothing makes me prouder.
During the break, my family spent time walking along the beach and beside a forest stream, and we found ourselves returning again and again to the image of flowing water. With my daughter Sarah’s permission, I’d like to share a reflection she wrote—it has stayed with me as we move into this new year:
A river is always moving, never in the same rhythm twice. Some stretches rush. Some slow to a crawl. Some carve open the earth. Some reflect the sky so clearly it feels like another world. And yet the flow never stops. A river does not live in the past or the future; it exists in its present motion. In so many ways, life asks the same of us—to stay present, unencumbered by what has been and with courage to face what lies ahead. We can let ourselves flow as a river. Together. With curiosity. With tenderness. With abandon. With intention.
As we begin 2026 together, this is my hope for our community—that we continue to move forward with intention and openness, grounded in our shared values and confident in the strength of our relationships. Ashley Hall is a place where girls challenge themselves, lift one another up, and are guided by educators deeply committed to their growth. It is a place where each student is known and valued, and where every young woman is encouraged to become the strongest version of herself.
Here’s to the year ahead—and to the extraordinary learning, leadership, and connection that continue to unfold at Ashley Hall each day.
Dr. Anne T. Weston ’73 Ashley Hall Head of School
What does it really feel like to be an Upper School student at Ashley Hall?
In our newest video, you’ll hear directly from the students themselves as they share what drew them here, what challenges and inspires them, and what makes this community feel like home. Their reflections offer an honest look at daily life in the Upper School—inside the classroom and beyond it.
From meaningful relationships with teachers to opportunities that encourage confidence, curiosity, and leadership, these voices reflect the heart of the Ashley Hall experience. We invite you to watch, listen, and learn more about what makes our Upper School a place where students are known, supported, and empowered to grow.
Curiosity often begins with a single, shared moment—and in the Early School, those moments can grow into meaningful learning adventures. In this blog post, Early School Faculty Member Laura Kernen, reflects on how one child’s discovery sparked a months-long, interdisciplinary exploration rooted in observation, creativity, and scientific thinking for her Primary class. Through her lens, we see how young learners investigate the world around them with wonder, collaboration, and joy.
For children in the Early School, the world is a giant laboratory! One day in late August, the children in my and Mrs. Gough’s Primary class were leaving the building and gathering in the Tree House*. As we were waiting for everyone, one of the children exclaimed, “There’s a spider! I see a web!” Excitedly, the others crowded around to see. For the next few days, each time we gathered in the tree house, the children were intensely focused on finding the web and the spider, and on wondering what life was like for the spider. These young scientists then embarked on a deep investigation into spiders. Weaving a web of natural exploration, artistic representation, fictional stories, informational texts, music and movement, and personal theories, both children and adults searched for understanding and knowledge of spiders.
Our investigation began with a morning meeting in which the children took turns sharing their prior knowledge of spiders with the class. Birdie P. shared, “They climb up webs in the rain, and they crawl everywhere.” Finn K. agreed, adding, “They climb up the water spout.” Connecting the song Itsy Bitsy Spider and her experiences outside of school to our conversation, Mila K. said, “They climb up the water spout and slide down (like me!).” After everyone had shared their thoughts, we decided to plan a nature walk around campus, during which children looked for webs and recorded their findings and impressions in their nature journals.
Above: Students explore the shapes of webs, working together to make quick sketches in the sandy ground on campus.
Over the following months, we were guided in our scientific exploration by STEM Cross Cutting Concepts, which are a set of overarching big ideas that look and behave similarly across all STEM domain areas. Here is some more information on each of them, and a bit more background on how we incorporated them into our learning adventure about spiders.
Patterns, Structure, and Function
Patterns: The children identified repeating shapes and noticed how spiders use geometric lines and curves to build their homes.
Structure & Function: The children explored why webs are built the way they are. Using wire and clay, they modeled the web’s physical structure, building it as if they were a spider. Presenting her web to her classmates and teacher, Harper T. said, “I made a web for a home.” Evie B. built her web focusing on its function as a home as well, explaining, “I make a nana spider web. The nana spider helps babies. Helps them stay safe.”
Cause and Effect, Change and Stability
Hands-on creation allowed the children to see how their actions changed the materials.
Cause and Effect: Using tape to create a large “sticky” web demonstrated a direct cause-and-effect relationship—the material’s property (stickiness) is what allows it to trap objects, just like a real web. The children continued working with the sticky web, using loose parts to see what would get trapped in it! Imitating a spider eating the items that got stuck in the web, Ruthie K. exclaimed, “I’m a spider, and I eat all my food!”
Change and Stability: By threading beads onto a decorative spider’s web, the children explored how a delicate structure can remain stable even when we add weight or “decorations” to it. When Zhuri T. finished her bead web, she showed it to her friends, pointing out its length and all the work she had done. Harper answered, “It is so long! You did a lot of work. Good job!”
Systems and Their Interactions & Compare and Contrast
Systems and Their Interactions: We discussed the web as part of a larger system—a tool the spider uses to interact with its environment to survive.
Compare and Contrast: Throughout the investigation, the children compared different mediums. They noticed that a web made of glue differs from one made of wire or beaded string, mirroring how different spiders build unique types of webs (orb vs. funnel).
Literacy and Language
Language and literacy skills were woven into every observation and creation, allowing children to build vocabulary and narrative skills.
Non-fiction and Informational Texts: Reading non-fiction books and watching a video of a spider building a web introduced precise vocabulary (e.g., “spinnerets”) and modeled the language used to describe natural phenomena.
Fiction and Creative Storytelling: We nurtured imagination and critical thinking by reading a fiction story about Walter, who experimented with different web shapes so that his web wouldn’t be blown down by the wind. This sparked discussions about problem-solving and stability in a narrative context.
Using the familiar melody from “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes,” I created a song for the children to sing. They love to sing this song, especially calling out “8 legs” and wiggling their bodies when singing “spinnaret”.
This multi-sensory approach ensures that our youngest learners are building a sophisticated scientific and literary identity through observation, engineering, and storytelling. What started as a simple observation by one child in our class turned into a detailed and engaging investigation across several subjects for all our friends. We are so thankful to spend time with such curious, open-minded, kind minds each and every day.
*The Tree House is a term we use for a meeting place, located just outside the doors to the Early School. It’s a small platform to the side of the ramp, and gives the children a “tree house” view of the Outdoor Classroom. The children use it as a landmark, and all understand what’s expected of them when we gather there in our transitions in and out of the building.
Laura Kernen
Early School Faculty Member
As we approach the end of the calendar year—and look ahead to a well-earned holiday break—it feels especially fitting to pause and reflect on the many moments that have made this semester so special. Across our campus, classrooms, studios, stages, athletic fields, and gathering spaces have been alive with creativity, collaboration, and connection.
This calendar-year-end snapshot offers a glimpse of just some of the powerful learning and community-building happening at Ashley Hall across all divisions. We hope you feel as proud and inspired by these highlights as we do when we witness them each day.
Early School: Inquiry in Action
Our Early School educators continue to shine as leaders in constructivist, child-centered learning. This fall, several teachers participated in national workshops and conferences—and three even presented at the Association for Constructivist Teaching Conference, a remarkable honor for any early childhood program. Faculty are also working closely with Italian pedagogista Tiziana Filippi to deepen their understanding of the Reggio approach, helping refine the ways they document children’s thinking and inquiry. And with fall explorations and festive family events, our youngest learners have welcomed parents into the process, creating meaningful home–school connections.
Lower School: Innovation and Joyful Learning
Lower School faculty have embarked on an exciting journey to strengthen language arts instruction, piloting the Arts and Letters curriculum in third grade. Seeing students so deeply engaged—one even declaring, “You know what I love? I love this school!”—has affirmed the team’s dedication to thoughtful curriculum design. Grade-level teams are now preparing to bring the curriculum to all Lower School classrooms next year, supported by ongoing professional learning. Another standout moment this semester: VIP Days, where students shared culminating project work with special guests. These celebrations showcased authentic learning and highlighted the joy of connection.
Middle School: Community, Service, and Leadership
Middle School students have been building their leadership muscles through community engagement. The seventh- and eighth-grade student councils helped design a meaningful Impact Assembly, inviting students to reflect on how they contribute to their school and local communities. This spirit extended into the holiday season through Branches of Joy, a project in which students crafted miniature Christmas trees for children spending the holidays at MUSC Children’s Hospital. Supported by advisors, the project was a beautiful example of IB service learning in action. A student-led bake sale rounded out the effort, making the hallways buzz with generosity and teamwork.
Upper School: Curiosity, Challenge, and Global Perspectives
Upper School faculty have been hard at work imagining the future of Ashley Hall as the division continues its shift toward becoming an IB school. This fall, teams of educators visited seven peer schools across the country—gathering inspiration, best practices, and bold ideas to bring back to Charleston. Ninth graders also enjoyed the Freshman Flip, a hands-on introduction to life in the Upper School designed by a dedicated group of teachers. Meanwhile, 30 students participated in a dynamic Model United Nations experience, representing countries from across the globe at a 475-person conference. The trip was so impactful that a second MUN experience at Duke University is already in the works for the spring.
Athletics: Record-Setting Momentum
Ashley Hall Athletics is closing out the semester with tremendous energy. Our Sailing Team, now the largest in school history, is posting strong results across the Southeast, while our Equestrian Team continues to collect top-three finishes early in the season. Varsity Basketball, led by first-year coach Bryan Bednar, looks sharp heading into a slate of holiday tournaments, and our Archery Team—now our biggest athletic team—saw 14 of 26 members achieve new personal records at their most recent tournament. With strength and conditioning underway for spring sports, it’s shaping up to be an exciting year across all teams.
Arts: Creativity That Connects
The Performing Arts Department has welcomed families into studios and rehearsal spaces this fall, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the craft and discipline of theater, dance, and strings. Highlights include:
– Parent demonstrations across the arts
– Red Choir and Honors Red Choir performing at Franke at Seaside Retirement Community
– Four orchestra students selected for Region Orchestra, performing with top musicians from across the region
And of course, this season marked the 101st year of the Christmas Play, a beloved Ashley Hall tradition brought to life through the dedication and artistry of our student performers, faculty, and volunteers.
Admission: Welcoming the Next “Purple & White” Generation
The Admission team has already welcomed 90 families for campus tours and hosted 20 student visits, setting a strong tone for the season ahead. From the Freshman Flip to special retention events, their energy is helping new and returning families feel connected and excited about life at Ashley Hall.
Operations & Health Center: Caring for Campus and Community
Behind the scenes, our Operations Team has been hard at work: from completing the McBee House elevator renovation (just in time for the Alumnae Holiday Party!) to making progress on roofing, HVAC upgrades, and stormwater improvements. Our incredible school nurses have also navigated the semester with extraordinary grace, maintaining a warm and steady presence for our community. We look forward to welcoming Lauren Fogelgren as our new Director of Health Services in January.
A Community Rooted in Pride and Purpose
This semester has been filled with growth, achievement, creativity, and connection—and we are deeply grateful to the educators, staff, students, and families who make this community so vibrant. As we approach winter break, we hope you feel as much pride as we do in all we have accomplished together.
Here’s to a restful holiday season and the exciting months ahead!
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.
