When Intermediate Program faculty members Katie Perez-Phillips ’07 and Kiki Sweigart began exploring creative ways to support their students in taking community action back in 2021, they sought a long-term initiative that would emphasize leadership, compassion, and collaboration. Thanks to some out-of-the-box thinking, they found the perfect opportunity for service right in Ashley Hall’s own backyard.
“We wanted an ongoing weekly or monthly idea that each IP advisory could take on in a collaborative effort,” said Sweigart. “In local neighborhoods we saw the Blessing Boxes, which are stocked with non-perishable food items, basic toiletries, baby supplies, and anything else that might be considered a blessing to people who find themselves in need. I contacted the Lowcountry Blessing Box Project, which pointed us in the right direction for building plans and locations. They started in 2017 and now have nearly 200 Blessing Boxes throughout the Lowcountry.”
Wanting to impact the immediate community, IP students partnered with the restaurant FUEL to install a purple Blessing Box (handcrafted by Ashley Hall staff member John Bartolotti) on its property, which is near one of the School’s satellite parking lots. To keep the box filled, each IP each advisory group is assigned 3-4 weeks throughout the school year when they will take a short Friday field trip to FUEL. “We ask each student in advisory to try and bring in at least 3 items by Friday during their assigned week,” says Sweigart. “Then they deliver them on Friday during their advisory time.”
The rest of Ashley Hall’s campus also embrace this unique opportunity to make a difference in their community throughout the year. “The Lower School and Nautilus programs have all helped us keep the box stocked with each group taking a week that is assigned to them,” says Sweigart. “We also encourage all faculty to bring in items and any families are always able to drop off items—or they can just stop by the Blessing Box and fill it themselves! Last summer a group of Lower School families set up a schedule for a weekly ‘fill’ which was so helpful when we are not in school.”
This December, over 150 students took part in Ashley Hall’s annual holiday production of The Christmas Play which has been performed every December for nearly a century. Due to its longstanding history, hundreds of current students and alumnae alike have played multiple parts in the play that offers a beautiful retelling of the Nativity story, whether it’s as a shepherd, a king, a Red Choir member, or perhaps most special, an angel.
Each year, six first graders are chosen to be “baby angels” in the play, while seniors who have participated in the play before are invited to be “senior angels” to celebrate their last year as a part of this School tradition. This year, four members of the Class of 2023 felt their memories come full circle.
On December 9, 2022, former baby angels Emily Joye ’23, Julia Richards ’23, Jania Seabrook ’23, and Brice Tibbals ’23 (top photo above) made their entrance into the Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul as senior angels. Below, they can be seen on stage, prayer hands in perfect position, as first-grade baby angels on December 1, 2011.
No matter the part they played, all 41 members of this year’s senior class are soon to join the ranks of Ashley Hall alumnae who hold similar special memories from The Christmas Play, including our very own Head of School Dr. Anne Weston ’73.
“What I love most about this Ashley Hall tradition is the imprint it leaves not only on participating students, but also on the community at large,” says Weston. “The Christmas Play has been a part of my life since 1961 when my family and I, as a first grader, began attending this annual performance. Over the years, I was involved in performances that were staged in churches all around town, but the most special production of all for me was my final one. I was a senior angel and my younger sister, eleven years my junior, was a baby angel at the side of the manger. We still cherish sharing such a special and meaningful experience.”
Above left: Dr. Weston stands as a senior angel in December 1972 with her younger sister, Ama Thornhill Couch ’84, before the big show. Above right: Dr. Weston smiles with baby angel Elisa Waring ’34 before this year’s production of The Christmas Play.
Research shows that if girls do not develop interests in science, technology, engineering, arts, or math (STEAM) before or during their middle school years, they will most likely avoid future classes and careers in these areas altogether. At Ashley Hall, STEAM activities are an integral part of the Lower School curriculum to give girls the chance to fall in love with STEAM–and they don’t just happen in the classroom.
Science and math start inside the classroom and are a large part of students’ core studies. But students get a secondary layer of learning outside of the classroom by attending weekly enrichment classes designed to apply their new math and science concepts. Once a week, students also come together as an entire grade for a special STEAM class. “We do hands-on science and hands-on math to enrich what they’re doing in class,” says Lower School STEAM and science teacher Meghan Ward. “It’s seeing those skills that students are practicing, and saying, ‘Now let’s put it in place in the lab.’ It’s actually really cool to see both disciplines.”
Last month, the School opened a brand-new beautifully renovated 2,100-square foot Lower School STEAM Lab designed to host these enrichment lessons. Inside are stations for experiments, moveable furniture, risers for presentations, a sound-proof room for break-out teacher instruction, and so much more. But the added space and state-of-the-art tools for hands-on experiments and collaboration is just the start of how the STEAM education is evolving at Ashley Hall.
More Space, More Collaboration
Research by UNICEF shows that studying STEAM helps girls develop skills in collaboration and self-development which gives girls tools with which to become informed citizens and effective leaders. The new Lower School STEAM Lab, which can support a whopping four classes at one time, was designed specifically to be able to support the opportunity for girls to work together.
“Why STEAM is so powerful is it is focused on giving the girls a challenge to try and solve a problem,” Ward says. “We always have them begin the process by sketching their own idea, then they collaborate with a group and come up with one design. They always have minimal materials, just a little bit of time, and they have to problem solve. They debate the best design and have to learn how to bring each other together and come up with one idea. But then on the other side, they support each other, too.”
“They’re learning to communicate and be respectful communicators,” adds Lower School Math Specialist Allison Jordan. “It’s hard for them. It’s such a hard skill for anyone to learn. But they are doing it every day.”
A New Perspective on Mistakes
According to the Goodman Research Group, girls’ school graduates are 6 times more likely to consider majoring in math, science, and technology compared to girls who attended coeducational schools. Why?
“We’ve created a safe place to make mistakes so that young girls can learn,” Ward says. “We call them ‘oops-ortunities’ or oopsies that you can turn into opportunities. They happen all the time in STEAM. A student will say something is not working. Okay. So we go back and try again, try it differently.”
The confidence that comes with not being afraid to make mistakes is everything, explains Jordan. “All you need is confidence. We have a lot of tears in the lab. It’s sometimes due to frustration with your team, but a lot of the time it’s because students don’t have the faith in themselves. If they get a math answer wrong, it makes them feel bad. But if they have the confidence to say, oops, I made a mistake, and ask for help, then there goes all that intimidation. That’s my biggest goal in here with math at least is to make them feel safe to figure it out. This is your safe space to make mistakes.”
Integrating a Empathy
Science, technology, engineering, arts, and math are at the core of our STEAM education in Lower School. But as the program continues to grow, so do the pillars of Ashley Hall’s STEAM curriculum. “One of the things we’re adding is the idea of empathy,” Ward says. “Everything we’ve done in STEAM, we’ve encouraged them to think with empathy.”
For example, when Lower School students studied the body, they had to create a stethoscope out of basic materials like cups and paper towel rolls. Then Ward asked the girls a question: Who would use a stethoscope? “We talked about people who take care of us who use stethoscopes. Then I took it a step further and asked if they thought everybody in the world uses a stethoscope. We have great medical devices in our country, but does everyone have that? And what if you lived in a country where they didn’t have stethoscopes and these materials were all you had to work with to hear a baby’s heartbeat? Suddenly, we were talking about real people and real issues in the world.”
“Learning to think and solve problems like scientists and engineers can equip girls with the knowledge, confidence and creativity to address major challenges in their communities, such as generating sufficient energy, preventing and treating diseases, maintaining supplies of clean water and food, and solving the problems of environmental change.”
By adding a focus on collaboration, confidence, and empathy throughout every level of STEAM education in the Lower School, Ashley Hall is creating not only future scientist and engineers, but girls equipped to be the best version of themselves.
As an Ashley Hall Pre-Kindergarten student, Eads Hubbell ’23 had no idea she’d one day be Student Body President – but she knew she wanted to be. “I’ve always looked up to the people who did it before me,” Hubbell says. In seventh grade, it was LouLou Byars ’18. Last year, it was Michelle Lam ’22. “I honestly didn’t know if I’d end up running then, but I always knew it was something I wanted.”
Fast forward over a decade to April 2022, and it was a phone call from a familiar voice that would make Hubbell’s dream of entering her senior year at Ashley Hall as Student Body President a reality. “There’s a tradition that when you win, the current student body president calls the newly elected one,” she says. “So Michelle was actually the one who called to tell me. Now I can text or call her for advice which is really cool.”
We sat down with Hubbell to get the scoop the responsibilities of the Ashley Hall Student Body President, her mission as a leader, and what’s to come this school year.
What are the biggest responsibilities of Ashley Hall’s Student Body President?
EH: “The required responsibilities include running morning meeting, assemblies, and running student council meetings in the mornings on Thursdays before school. A lot of it is having time that you have to fill with what you think would be exciting to the student body, or funny, or up-lifting. I feel like you can pick up as much as you want to though. You can make it a bigger job, and I feel like that’s what I’m trying to go for this year. I’m trying to hit all the marks I can within the year.”
What are those big marks you want to hit?
EH: “Well, I already got free feminine products in all the Upper School bathrooms. So that’s the first thing that I wanted for the first day of school and that’s done. Then I also have a committee for community service in the works for restocking that. Then I also had a few funny promises in my speech, like a celebrity cutout in the atrium. Students are voting on that right now. I’m trying to organize a form with like 200 responses with all their celebrity crushes.
But really, I’m trying to have one significant thing each month. Most of its fun stuff for the student body, like we’re getting a morning class off on Valentine’s Day to bring back giving Valentine’s and making boxes. But I also want to have a yoga instructor from Longevity come that I’ve been talking to to have a class on the turf. I’m also trying to move taco Wednesday to Tuesday. I guess it’s just mainly stuff for the students to get them excited.”
What kind of leader do you think you’ll be this year?
EH: “I definitely don’t have a super serious approach, but behind the scenes, I’m going to be working really hard. The Student Body President represents every grade all year, then morning meetings are 7-12 grades every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Then there can be assemblies Thursday and Friday so potentially, I’m leading something every day. And even if it’s not on a stage, I will be.”
At Ashley Hall, athletics have always been more than just a game. Student athletes become both team and campus leaders, as well as part of a legacy left by a long line of women in sports who have been competing for the School for over a century. To support its athletes on and off the field, this fall Panther Athletics launched a new year-round strength and conditioning program aimed to not only change the way they play, but live.
“Dynamic athletes require dynamic programming,” says Assistant Athletic Director Christian Alcantara. “Now our athletes will be able to work year round to improve their game. This will not only help prevent injuries, build endurance and stamina, but it will also give them more knowledge on how to care for themselves day in and day out.”
Led by Coach Beatrice Puiu, Ashley Hall’s strength and conditioning program offers off-season and pre-season training programs, as well as in-season sessions that compliment regular practice schedules. Puiu will also be at the school during set hours of the week so anyone who is free can go see her for a workout.
With the goal of supporting all Ashley Hall sports teams, Puiu designed the program in a way that allows her to cover all her athletes needs, plus sports-specific needs separately. “The program covers the entire body,” Puiu explains. “The main goal is for each athlete to get stronger, more powerful, and more explosive. Strength training protects your joints from injuries, maintains muscle tissue, and improves overall life quality.”
As strength and conditioning coach, Puiu understands firsthand the science behind the female athlete’s body. A Romanian native, she has competed in international and national Track and Field competitions as well as European Championships and the 2018 Winter Olympics. Over the past 10 years, she’s been awarded 15 national titles with her strongest events in hurdles, high jump, and shot put.
“Now it’s my turn to educate Ashley Hall student athletes,” Puiu says. “My job is to work with anyone who shows up to a training session and share the best habits for the best version of themselves. In my perfect world, this program would be required for all girls. Even if they are not interested in sports, the human body was created to move. The skeleton needs strong, lean muscles. We can work and prevent abnormal positioning of the spine, prevent muscle fatigue, decrease the risk of back pain, increase energy, and increase confidence – correcting your posture can impact the way you feel about yourself!”
Puiu first joined Ashley Hall in 2017 as assistant coach of Panthers Track and Field, and returned to coach the team last year. As both Track and Field coach and strength and conditioning coach, she understands how the new program will support the entire athletics department. “It will take a lot off the coach’s shoulders, explains Puiu. “It helps so they don’t have to spend more time in the weight room and can use that time for the game plan.”
While supporting the coaching staff and giving Ashley Hall athletes an elite advantage through strength training is exciting, that’s only part of the big picture for Coach Bea, as her athletes call her. “Believing, encouraging, educating, and leading our girls into the future is the most exciting thing for me,” she says. It’s lifelong learning and development. We will be surrounded by strong young ladies inside and outside. Strong is beautiful!”
When Upper School faculty member Chris Frisby founded the Ashley Hall Investment Group five years ago, his mission was twofold: give students hands-on experience investing money in the stock market and give back to the community. This week, the group made local news headlines showing just how much their hard work has paid off.
After impressively turning $10,000 into $17,000, Frisby’s students teamed up with members of the student council and philanthropy board to donate their earnings to the Water Wellness Mission, a charity that builds wells for residents of the Sea Islands in need. Money raised by the Investment Club went directly toward installing a new water filtration system at a home that previously had no access to drinking water, and the girls got to watch the process from start to finish.
“It’s really cool to see that these things actually have an impact and just really getting to see how this really affects people,” says junior Ellerbe Mendez. “We hear about it, we are aware, but being able to really see it and see the people it’s affecting is really impactful.”
Water sustainability issues have been woven throughout the K-12 curriculum all year as a part of Ashley Hall’s “A Year of Water” theme. Students have learned about water scarcity throughout the world, but also that it’s not exclusive to less developed countries. “In our own backyard, we still have people who don’t have access to clean water,” says Frisby.
Around 25 percent of residents on Wadmalaw Island live below the poverty line. As a result, many families are forced to buy 100 percent of their drinking water due to wells that smell and have visible signs of rust. “Not all well needs are the same,” co-program director of the Water Wellness Mission John Carpenter told students. “But the need for fresh water is the same. The goal is getting clear, drinkable water that any of us would drink at home in everyone’s home.”
Ashley Hall funded the 239th water filtration system the charity has installed. The latest recipient was Michael Johnson who was born and raised on Wadmalaw Island. He lives in his childhood home with his daughter, and until now, their water was too polluted to drink.
“Now we don’t have to worry about the problem we had before. I really appreciate what Ashley Hall students are doing and the organization that got together and did this for me,” Johnson told WCBD News 2 in front of his home where students met him.
Over 97 percent of all donations to Water Wellness Mission go to the families in need. Each combination water well and filtration system that provides safe water for drinking and cooking is approximately $6,700, according to the charity.
“Partnering with Water Wellness Mission and taking the Investment Club’s funds and investing it into this charity is the perfect fit for us,” says Ashley Hall’s Global Education Coordinator Jonathan Perkins. “It helps the girls understand philanthropy, but also that their actions are making a difference.”
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.
