In Visual Arts faculty member Raúl Miyar’s Foundations of Art class, students become keenly aware of their environment. Only by learning to refine their skill of observation can they begin to develop as artists. “Figure drawing is a pillar in beginning drawing lessons because of the complexity of the subject,” Miyar noted. “It requires intense focus and observation to attain accurate descriptions of shapes and forms. As one of the most important foundational drawing exercises, it expands the student’s perceptional skills.”
To hone their drawing skills and techniques this semester, students completed a series of figure studies using their peers as models. For Miyar, observing objectively is critical. “At the introduction to the course I explain that they are not learning how to draw but are instead learning how to see,” he said. “Most of them have probably not absorbed this information conceptually at this stage, but in time as they practice their observational skills, they will begin to comprehend the power of visual expression and how they are in control of what they communicate visually. As they develop their skills further, these conceptual ideas will become the basis of their practice, but before they reach that point they need to develop the technical skills that will enable them to communicate their ideas freely and uniquely.”
In their sketches, Miyar’s students capture their classmates in various poses during everyday life. As part of the campus environment, masks appear in many of the students’ compositions and reflect the reality of life during a pandemic. “The emphasis now in their training is technical, but whether the student knows it or not, when observing reality the result is usually compellingly honest and captivating,” Miyar pointed out. “The ordinary, which is normally overlooked, is not transformed; it is simply observed and highlighted. In acquiring the basic technical skills, the student learns to scrutinize that which is usually not noticed, consequently giving it new life and significance. The result is a direct window into each artist’s perception of the world and all the emotions connected to what and how each individual perceives.”
Sketches by (left to right): Elliot Tick ’24, Eads Hubbell ’23, and Elizabeth Perkins ’24
Ashley Hall proudly announces the release of its Statement on Civil Discourse. “The result of a collaborative effort between faculty and administrators to articulate how we embrace honesty, responsibility, and integrity as the guiding standards for daily interaction, this document represents our continued commitment to nurturing and modeling a culture of civil discourse as integral to campus life,” said Head of School Jill Muti. “It exemplifies how we are living our mission and preparing our students to confidently meet the challenges of society as ethically responsible women.”
During this morning’s Upper School Assembly, Mrs. Muti shared the Statement on Civil Discourse with students, who will work with the document in their English class over the month of November. They will collaborate on the creation of a code of student conduct that supports the tenets set forth in the Statement on Civil Discourse. “The goal of this exercise is for students to work together to deepen their understanding and appreciation of these universal tenets of civility,” noted Mrs. Muti. “Together we commit to a culture where civil discourse is embedded into the fabric of our community.”
Ashley Hall’s Statement on Civil Discourse
Post & Courier Commentary: How to Model Civil Discourse
Sometimes, it is the small, normal things that help to start a day off right: hearing class announcements and the lunch menu, celebrating birthdays and athletic team victories, and even having the thrill of being named student of the week. Most of all, the skits, videos, and inside jokes are what everyone eagerly anticipate; somehow, having a reason to laugh makes everything better. A much-loved tradition in the Upper School, Morning Meeting this year transformed to continue fulfilling its purpose: bringing a community together.
“It was important to our student leaders that we continue to gather in some way, and Morning Meeting has always been one of the ways we come together as a full community,” said Dean of Students Kelly Sumner. “Having a virtual Morning Meeting provides us with a common experience that helps us to feel as if we are all together, even if we aren’t in Davies Auditorium as we used to be.”
Most mornings, student body president Mary Scott Brisson ’21 joins other student council leaders to create that unifying force. Broadcast after the first class block of the day, Morning Meeting (and the associated expectations of an entire division) has fallen onto their willing shoulders. “My goals for Morning Meeting this year are to keep the student body and faculty engaged,” Brisson emphasized. “I want to attempt to preserve the ten minutes of fellowship every morning that we have had for so many years, even if it is over Google Meet. I want more underclassmen to be involved!”
Liv Hansen ’25 helped answer that call to action by re-establishing the Nautilus Program’s own Morning Meeting. In addition to tuning into the main meeting, once a week she leads her own team as chief promoter of fun. “Having a Nautilus Morning Meeting is important because it makes school fun even through this whole pandemic and reminds us all that we have each other to lean on,” she said. “I look forward to Tuesdays because we get to dance and start our day with positivity, and we get to have our own announcements so everyone knows what is going on for the week. I love to get everyone excited. It gets me in a good mood and awake for the day!”
Creating an environment where that positivity can shine is crucial, especially for a school that advocates for the benefits of student connection. “The tradition of Morning Meeting is important because it provides a sense of normalcy, but more importantly, it gives the younger girls a platform to gain voice and confidence while forging an even stronger connection among the Nautilus group,” said Assistant Director of Upper School and Director of the Nautilus Program Chris Hughes. As the student leaders fostering those ties, Brisson, Hansen, and their teams have worked hard to be a force of positivity for others. “It is important to preserve the essence of Morning Meeting this year because it is an integral part of the sense of community within our Student Body,” asserted Brisson. Through all the costumes, dance routines, TikTok videos, and shared laughter, they are bringing a school together, ten minutes at a time.
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.