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!

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.

A Special Parent Event: Vaping, Juuling, and Drugs: Latest Research Findings and Prevention Strategies for Parents of Adolescents
December 10 | 6:30pm-8:00pm
Davies Auditorium at Ashley Hall

Learn more from national experts Dr. Carla Kmett Danielson (a current Ashley Hall parent) and Dr. Matthew Carpenter, both Professors of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina, who will discuss research findings and prevention strategies with parents of students in grades 5 through 12. This presentation is open to the Charleston community.

Ashley Hall will resume a normal schedule, Friday, October 12. Our thoughts go out to family and friends in Florida impacted by Hurricane Michael. We look forward to seeing everyone on campus tomorrow.

Due to Hurricane Michael, Ashley Hall will be closed tomorrow, Thursday, October 11, with plans to re-open on Friday, October 12. All extra-curricular activities, including Extended Day, and sporting events are canceled as well. For the latest news, please follow our Facebook and Instagram pages, or visit www.ashleyhall.org or the Learning Commons. Stay safe everyone!

(pictured above, Sara Stephenson, Ashley Hall Director of Strategic Enrollment Management)

Dear families and friends,

As a newcomer to the Lowcountry, I’ve just experienced my first hurricane evacuation. A friend here in Charleston described it as “being chased by a turtle”—I thought this was a wonderful analogy. My family and I left for our old home in Cleveland, where we still own a house. While the week was filled with visits with friends and a welcome dose of cool, early fall temperatures, we were focused on the question, “When can we go home?”. In just six short weeks (and even after four years of living in a close-knit community in Cleveland), Charleston has become the only place that we want to be. Ashley Hall has formed the basis of this welcome truth: I have quickly put down roots here and already feel that this is my school home. The unique welcome and authentic sense of belonging that Ashley Hall has offered me, and to all of you, are what bind us to this community with pride and enthusiasm. Pure and simple: Ashley Hall is a place like no other.

In my role as Director of Strategic Enrollment Management, I am fortunate to welcome new students and help existing families recommit to Ashley Hall each year. This is work about which I feel deeply passionate and perpetually excited. I look forward to hearing your stories as I get to know you and your daughters and young sons personally.

As the admission season begins, and we start to welcome families who are looking for their new school home, we understand that you, our current parents, are, by far, our most genuine and important cheerleaders. Your stories are the ones that inspire other families to consider Ashley Hall for their children. Your voices are compelling, resonant, and authentic. Please consider sharing your Ashley Hall memories and experiences with a friend, neighbor, or colleague. We want to meet them and to learn more about their children. We have a special welcome waiting for them in the admission office—please encourage them to contact us so that we may have the opportunity to show them the Ashley Hall difference.

Although the summer is barely behind us and this year’s back-to-school routine is only just completed, I am already thinking ahead to the 2019–2020 school year. As we get closer to re-enrollment season, I will be in touch again to share some important information about securing your spot for next year quickly and easily. In the meantime I wish you a wonderful fall and look forward to meeting as many of you as possible in the weeks and months ahead.

Warmly,

Sara Stephenson
Director of Strategic Enrollment Management
[email protected] | (843) 965-8514