here - Valley School of Ligonier

| NEWSLETTER
Building
on Strong
Traditions
Discover the origins of Valley School’s
most iconic landmark.
PG. 2
by Michael Kennedy,
former head of school
NEW OFFICE OF
DEVELOPMENT
NEW FACES
ALUMNI NEWS
FIRST TRIMESTER
AC ADEMIC AWARDS
4
5
9
11
NEW
CHALLENGES
HEAD OF SCHOOL’S
MESSAGE
ONE OF THE MOST frequently discussed words
in independent schools today is the word sustainability.
It is a word that was born out of the new financial and
political era that brought increasing concern about the
long-term financial viability for schools. The word has
been expanded to include not only economic viability,
but also environmental and curricular viability as well.
As you can see from this issue of the newsletter, this
conversation is a vigorous one at Valley School as we
work to not only preserve the historic tradition of our
fine school, but also to develop a more nimble way of
responding to the increasing challenges of today’s world.
John Lippincott, President of the Council for the
Advancement and Support of Education, urges
schools to nurture three particular aspects of
advancement in a school: reputation, relationships
and resources. According to Lippincott, by attending
to these three things, the school is strengthening
its long-term sustainability — something that is
ultimately very important to those of us connected to
Valley School. And our current work both internally
with the faculty and staff, and externally with the
Board of Trustees truly addresses these Three R’s of
advancement in a school.
The School’s recent marketing efforts described in
this issue of the Newsletter have been key to tending
to both its reputation and admissions. It is crucial
for Valley School to be realistic about the local
demographics and to be sure that its reputation is
consistent with the strength of its modern day practice.
We are beginning to develop print materials, more
targeted local marketing campaigns, and to create
even more vision for the use of the website to advance
the mission of Valley School.
We also have the establishment of the School’s
first Office of Development in most of its 65-year
history. While Valley has often enjoyed a stable
financial position, the School has not always seized
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opportunities to strengthen resources by tending
to donor relationships. It is important for Valley
to explore ways to diversify its donor base and to
reconnect its alums, who are so passionate about the
education they received. This will take time. But we
are hopeful that in the next five years, we will have
achieved our goal of more vigorous and diverse giving
to support the big dreams that we have for Valley.
In February, the Board of Trustees began a strategic
planning process supported by a generous grant
from the R. K. Mellon Foundation. The Board has
conducted a smaller board-based stage, which will
give way to a much larger community-based process
that will include many different constituent groups
from our school community (both past and present).
The Board hopes to establish a 3-5 year cycle for
strategic planning — one that is more consistent with
the current thinking and research.
By carefully shifting Valley School of Ligonier into a
more rigorous planning and strategic thinking mode,
the Board of Trustees and I are sure that we are doing
all in our power to preserve our school for perpetuity.
Just as we now stand on the shoulders of the School’s
last generation of donors and leaders, we need to
ensure that the next generation of families can benefit
from the sound strategic work that we are engaging
in today. This is how we tend to Valley School of
Ligonier’s long-term sustainability in a world that is not
quite as predictable as it was 65 years ago.
Clair Ward
Clair Ward, Head of School
Building on Strong Traditions
by Michael Kennedy, former head of school
THE WATER WHEEL, the lovely stone sluiceway,
and the pump house have long been important
features of the Valley School campus. Often,
graduating classes want their picture taken there, and
over the years countless visitors have photographed
the scene. However, this setting has not always been
so picturesque.
“The wheel was rusted
and falling apart, and the
stonework was slowly
becoming rubble.”
would pull off this small lot onto the edge of the woods
to park. The School consisted of this parking lot, one
small school building, and the playground behind it.
Valley School was completely surrounded by woods
and could not even be seen from Linn Run Road.
Once the lovely, long, serpentine driveway was
completed, during the summer of 1990, many of us
realized we would have to do something about the
condition of the water wheel and its environs. It had
become a very prominent eyesore. In short order
two Valley School parents offered to help through
generous gifts to the School.
THE GREEKS
Before 1990, the entrance road to the
INVENTED THE
School did not pass by the water wheel.
WATER WHEEL
The school driveway was about two
AROUND
hundred yards farther up Linn Run Road
300 BC.
and was a short, steep, narrow, downhill
drive that passed between the two ponds
and abruptly ended in front of the school. The
pump house, the sluiceway, and the water wheel were
out of sight in the woods. And all were in serious
disrepair. The wheel was rusted and falling apart, and
the stonework was slowly becoming rubble.
1990
A new serpentine
driveway is
completed during the
summer, revealing the
poor condition of the
water wheel.
John Whipkey, Parent
‘94, fabricates a new
wheel in his shop.
The first was a gift in kind. John Whipkey,
father of Laurel, Class of 1994, offered to
fabricate the wheel in his shop over the
following winter. John is the long-time
owner of Laughlintown Garage and very
skilled with all things metal.
“…many of us realized we
would have to do something
about the condition of the
water wheel and its environs.”
It is important to note that before the 1990’s, Valley
School itself sat on a small campus that was tucked
in the woods. The sole parking lot, directly in front of
the school building, held eleven cars. Additional cars
Anther parent of a Valley student at the time called
one morning and asked to see me. When we met, he
the wheel WINTER 2011 /
2
The Class of 1993, the
first to be photographed
in front of the
refurbished wheel (left to
right). Front row: Gelsey
Lynn, Mrudula Kumar,
Suzanne Bennett,
Melissa Lombardo,
Lara Grandizio, Susan
Douglass, Lauren Purvis,
Meghan Connelly, Katie
Underwood. Back row:
Justin Gold, Lance
Purvis, Michael Eyer,
Andrew Slater, Michael
Jernigan, Gary Calnan,
and Kevin Hershock.
of his men with a Farms log truck to Laughlintown
Garage to pick up the wheel and deliver it to Valley
School. The crane operator on the truck, after some
deft maneuvering, delicately set the wheel in place,
and within a few minutes we watched it begin to turn.
Robin and Michael Kennedy were warmly welcomed
by students and faculty in October 2010.
walked me down to the site in question, and we looked
at the sad condition of the stonework from the pond
to the water wheel. On the spot he offered to pay for
the reconstruction of the sluiceway. He insisted that it
be an anonymous gift, and it remains so to this day. At
about the same time, we put a new roof on the pump
house and did some patching on that building as well.
George Carr, the longtime manager of Rolling
Rock Farms, oversaw the entire project. When John
Whipkey completed construction of the wheel, I
believe it was in the spring of 1992, George sent some
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“The crane operator on the truck,
after some deft maneuvering,
delicately set the wheel in place,
and within a few minutes we
watched it begin to turn.”
When I think back to that time, between the late
1980’s and the fall of 1996, I am struck by how much
change took place on the Valley School campus. We
had a clear vision for the School, knew what our
children needed to prosper, saw that the existing
facilities were inadequate for our evolving program,
and many good people who cared about Valley did
something wonderful about it.
1990
An anonymous
gift allows for the
reconstruction of the
sluiceway. A new roof
for the pump house is
also completed.
1992
Construction of the
wheel is completed.
Final placement is done
with the help of George
Carr and a truck from
Rolling Rock Farms.
1993
The Class of 1993 is the
first to be photographed
in front of the
refurbished wheel.
2011
Valley School relaunches
its newsletter with a new
design and a new title,
“The Wheel.”
New Office of
Development
FOR MOST OF ITS HISTORY, Valley School
of Ligonier has operated without a Director of
Development. This has placed a tremendous strain
on volunteers and limited the School’s capacity, not
only to raise funds, but also to respond appropriately
to the needs and wishes of donors. In response, this
past October, Valley School of Ligonier created a new
Office of Development. The function of this office
can best be summarized as follows:
• To strengthen alumni relationships with the School.
of working with donors to honor gift intent and
enhance transparency. Emily received her Bachelor’s
degree from the University of Pittsburgh in Child
Development and her Master’s degree from Carnegie
Mellon University in Public Policy and Management.
Emily also brings to the job a passion for Valley as
an institution. A Valley grad herself (Class of 1984),
Emily’s father was a student in Valley’s founding years
and her brother, Gates, is a graduate from the Class
of 1986.
• To cultivate long-term philanthropic relations.
• To secure an increased flow of operational support
through charitable contributions to help Valley bridge
the gap between its budget and tuition revenue.
• To conduct periodic comprehensive campaigns
designed to have broad impact on the school’s
financial stability.
• To effectively steward gifts made by donors.
• To process gift transactions, acknowledge
contributions to the school in a timely manner, and
accurately maintain a comprehensive database for all
Valley constituents.
After a rigorous national search, Emily Watson Nye
was selected to head the office, which is now physically
located directly across from the School’s front desk.
“Many Alumni are simply
looking for a way to
reconnect with Valley…”
“How lucky we are to have a
school of this caliber located in
the Laurel Mountains.”
Emily is excited about the possibility of the
Development Office to greatly enhance the culture of
the School. “Many Alumni are simply looking for a way
to reconnect with Valley. We have such affectionate
and enduring memories of this place and its people.”
Emily confides, “I spent much of my first few weeks
at work tearing-up over the fond memories I had of
something as seemingly silly as lunch time at Valley.”
Emily Watson Nye,
New Development
Director
It is, however, these memories that we all share and
these moments still today that make Valley such an
important resource for the region’s families. “How
lucky we are to have a school of this caliber located in
the Laurel Mountains. It is one of the many reasons our
family chose to make Ligonier our home.” Emily and her
husband, Gary, live just several miles from campus with
their son Brigs (4 yrs) and daughter Curry (3 yrs), who
they hope will someday be Valley alumni themselves.
Emily joins us after nearly twenty years in private
philanthropy, having worked most recently with
The Grable Foundation and prior, with The Heinz
Endowments. In her work with The Grable Foundation,
Emily helped direct the Foundation’s grantmaking
in the field of education, with a specific focus on
early learning. She brings to Valley an extensive
understanding of philanthropy and a long history
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4
NEW
FACES
Lisamarie Cirota
Lisamarie Cirota isn’t a stranger to the Valley School
community. She has been a favorite substitute teacher
here since the winter of 2007. Last spring, when the
opportunity arose to join the Valley School faculty
for the 2010-11 school year, Lisamarie “just could
not resist accepting!” She joined teacher Joanne
Copeland as a full-time assistant teacher in the fourth
grade classroom. With the growing enrollment in that
class, a co-teaching model has been developed and
successfully implemented with Joanne and Lisamarie’s
teamwork and dedication. “Joanne and I have been
able to work together nicely to plan and execute
meaningful lessons that meet the various needs of the
students--and we have a blast doing it, too!”
Lisamarie grew up in McLean, VA, a suburb of
Washington, D.C., and moved to Latrobe after
graduating from Virginia Tech with degrees in English
and Psychology in 2005. She earned her Masters
degree in Elementary Education--Curriculum and
Instruction in 2007. In the midst of graduating, getting
married, and moving to Pennsylvania, Lisamarie
researched schools in the area at which to substitute.
“Valley School seemed like an ideal place to work with
its attention to the whole child and amazing faculty
and students.”
Jennifer daConceicao
“I dream huge!” said Jennifer daConceicao, Valley
School of Ligonier’s new Computer Teacher and
Educational Technology Specialist.
Ms. daConceicao received her BA from Duquesne
University (2004) and a Master’s of Arts in Teaching
from Chatham University (2006). After graduation,
she spent time as a teacher in Chesapeake High
School, outside of Annapolis, MD; as a Technology
Coach in West Mifflin, PA; and for McKesson, as a
traveling software consultant. She came to Valley at
the start of 2010 and is thrilled with her decision.
“I decided to come to Valley because it had a great
sense of community, and I really felt that the teachers
had a sincere interest in the students. And, I was
excited about the position. I love teaching, and
I’m very enthusiastic about technology in the
classroom. And this was a job that gave me a chance
to focus on both,” she said.
At Valley, she teaches grades 2-9 in computer. The
younger children see her once a week, while the older
Lisamarie lives in Latrobe with her husband Aaron, a
mechanical engineer at Westinghouse in Blairsville,
and their 2 rescued Dobermans, Molly and Marshall.
Her favorite hobby is Zumba, but she has just started
skiing with the Valley ski program and loves it.
“My experience (at Valley School) has been amazing. I
love working in a tight-knit school and have enjoyed
the faculty, staff, and students immensely. Everyone
has been so welcoming of me, and they have made
me feel like part of the Valley School family. I feel truly
blessed to come to Valley School every day.”
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Lisamarie Cirota (left) and Jennifer daConceicao (right).
students are able to see her more than that, and
through electives. One of the electives she taught was
scrapbooking, where the students create and publish
digital scrapbooks, with the opportunity to purchase
them. Robotics, co-taught with Mr. Kirkland, gave the
students the opportunity to compete in Pittsburgh
in December. The students solved problems,
programmed and worked on the project for the
competition with little input from the instructors. “It
was a great experience,” she said.
Outside of school, Ms. daConceicao, originally from
Plum Boro, PA, is married to Stephen and has been
decorating their new home. She is an anime and
manga enthusiast and although she says she isn’t a
great ice skater, enjoys the activity.
“I hope to bring more technology to Valley. I hope to
show teachers and students tools and possibilities that
they weren’t aware of before and give them the skills
and interest to pursue them. I want to make sure all of
our students leave Valley prepared for whatever new
innovations the world has to offer.”
Welcome to Valley School of Ligonier!
***
Rick Kanuch
Rick Kanuch (pronounced Kun-You) began work as
the school’s maintenance foreman in June. A graduate
of Penn State’s turf grass management program, Rick
was fortunate to be an intern at Augusta National for
the 1983 Master’s Tournament. Rick spent 20 years at
Pike Run Country Club as golf course superintendent
and facilities manager prior to his employment at
Valley School.
“The Valley family is so
welcoming and such a longreaching community.”
Kanuch praises the school’s knowledgeable staff and
their willingness to help with anything on campus.
“The Valley family is so welcoming, and such a longreaching community”, he comments. And he is
enjoying being around children and bonding with the
kindergarten class, particularly “when you get your
first hug”.
He describes the “treasure trove” he discovered when
he started the job, not only with the facilities but
the outdoor campus, complete with caves, streams,
and acreage. He is enjoying integrating technology
into his position with digital room inventories and
reducing energy costs, describing himself as “always
an environmentalist.”
Rick and his wife, Pam, are parents to Alyssa (a
senior nursing student at Penn State) and Maria (a
sophomore special education major at California
University). We welcome them to campus and look
forward to Rick’s leadership as maintenance supervisor.
***
Rick Kanuch
Liz Thayer
Liz Thayer joined the faculty this year as the new physical
education teacher and coach of varsity field hockey and
lacrosse. A graduate of Lancaster Country Day School,
Liz is a 2009 graduate of Colorado College with B.A. in
religion and a minor in education. She studied abroad
in Australia and also participated in NOLS (National
Outdoor Leadership School) backpacking, sailing and
kayaking for three months in Mexico.
Growing up, Liz was a camper and counselor at
Ligonier Camp and Conference Center and spent last
year as an intern in their outdoor education program.
She was excited to join Valley School’s faculty because
she “loves working with students.” While in high school,
she hurried through lunch so she could play soccer
with the kindergarten and first graders and mentor the
young students.
Thayer sees sports as an opportunity for kids to be active
and have a healthy lifestyle. She feels it is important to
have a basic knowledge of sports but not necessarily
to be an expert in all sports. “Everybody needs the
experience of being on a team. There is so much you
can learn beyond the physical aspect of a sport.”
Liz is enjoying living on the Diamond in Ligonier
and playing rugby for the Pittsburgh Angels (whose
eligibility requires players to be female, over 18, and
have health insurance). After an undefeated season,
the Angels placed third in the nation, losing only to
Albany, who went on to win the national title.
Liz Thayer
A former soccer player and skier, Liz is enjoying some
time on the slopes with Valley’s ski program. We are
happy to welcome her to the Valley community.
the wheel WINTER 2011 /
6
FALL
SPORTS
2010
SOCCER
Boys’ varsity soccer finished the season with four wins,
three losses, and three tied games. Wins were posted
against Aquinas (4-2 and 2-1), Winchester-Thurston
(2-0), and Kiski (3-0). Ties were with Shady Side (0-0),
Upland Country Day School (1-1), and Falk (1-1). Losses
were to Kiski (0-3) and St. Edmund’s (1-4 and 0-3).
Offense was Tony DeBlasio, Defense was
Barrett Naugle, Most Improved to Justin Hugo,
Sportsmanship was Anna Ayers, and the Leadership
Award went to Daniel Clark.
Junior varsity boys’ soccer had two wins and three losses
for the season.
Bradley Coleman was the recipient of the Hackett
Cup, Most Valuable Player was Courtney Clark,
Boys’ varsity soccer team (left to right). Front row: Justin Hugo, Tony Gallucci, Zach Muster, Billy Gardner, and
Courtney Clark. Second row: Abby Snyder, Anna Ayers, Ben Phillips, Clayton Hepler, and Tony DeBlasio. Back
row: Justin Whitney, Daniel Clark, Bradley Coleman, Barrett Naugle, Naveen Jain, and Ben Meade.
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FIELD HOCKEY
Field hockey was a single unit this year, fielding both a
varsity and junior varsity team. Varsity girls had a final
record of 5-4-0 this fall. In regular season, the girls
had four wins (St. Edmund’s 1-0 and 5-1, Greensburg
YMCA 3-2, and Aquinas 1-0) and two losses (Ellis 0-4
and Shady Side 0-2). In the Upland Tournament the
team defeated Aquinas (2-0) and lost to Shady Side
(0-4) and Upland (0-3). Award winners were: Bree
Springer, Macdonald Cup and MVP; Offense: Brooke
Snyder; Defense: Madie Ritter; Most Improved: Olivia
Pompa; Sportsmanship: Julia Daniele; and Leadership:
Ashley DeWalt.
Junior varsity field hockey finished the season with one
win and three losses.
Girls’ field hockey team (left to right). Front row: Veronica Tatone, Julia Daniele, Alexis Vittone, Grace Noel,
Sharon Nincke, and Aine Marie Policastro. Second row: Hadley Ankrum, Olivia Pompa, Madeline Cavalier, Sarah
Parker, Lauren Miller, and Miranda Steiner. Back row: Kate Caldwell, Madie Ritter, Gabriella Bucci, BreOnna
Springer, Ashley DeWalt, Brooke Snyder, Louise Mellon, and Heidi Thorne.
the wheel WINTER 2011 /
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ALUMNI
NEWS
WINTER 2011
Class of 1953
Class of 1998
Anna Berndtson Coor writes, “Still enjoying
retirement! Volunteering at the Desert Botanical
Garden in Phoenix, Arizona.” She invites everyone to
come see their fabulous desert garden.
Jessica Kaylor spent December on a Physician’s
Assistant rotation in Hawaii and was sorry to miss this
year’s Alumni Brunch.
Class of 1959
Sheila Langdon Garrett is still teaching although
retired from house parenting at The Meeting School
(www.meetingschool.org). “Watch our video if you
want to see me with grey hair (wink!). And keep us in
mind for high school candidates looking for a really
wonderful, unique school with an historic farm. I love
it! We always welcome visitors and can offer beds and
great homemade food.”
Class of 1962
Sandy Kennicott Harrison still travels to Ligonier
weekly during the summer to see her father.
Class of 1973
Elizabeth Maxwell Schmidt is an emergency medicine
physician in Maryland, married with a son entering
high school next year.
Class of 1980
Courtney Walthour Lamontagne was sorry she
couldn’t make it to her class’s 30th Reunion
(graciously planned by Wendy Hagar). 1 2
Courtney currently lives in Vermont.
Class of 1989
Jessica Millstein is having tons of fun living in San
Francisco directly across the street from the World
Series Champs! She invites everyone to look her up
on Facebook.
Class of 1994
Andy Godek just graduated from physical therapy
school and is expecting the arrival of their second
daughter in April.
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Class of 2000
Sarah Wood is enjoying life in Bellingham,
Washington.
Class of 2005
Kristin Farkosh is happily engaged and plans to
graduate from Penn State in the spring of 2012 with a
degree in accounting.
1 TOP: Wendy Hager
organized a 30th
reunion alumni brunch
in December: pictured
are Wendy Hager, Kelly
Pidgeon, John Govi and
Constance Semler.
2 BOTTOM:
(standing) Doug
Raimondo, John Govi,
(seated) Kathy Slate
and Kelly Pidgeon.
OFF TO
COLLEGE
CLASS
OF
2007
Hillary Dzialowski, Syracuse University
Molly Gebrosky, Messiah College
Kayleigh Gregory, Hobart & William Smith College
Damon Huber, Sierra Nevada College
Kyle Metsger, St. Vincent College
Hannah Meyer, University of Richmond
Dakotah Quintiliani, University of Pittsburgh
Maria Rossi, Wake Forest University
Rosie Samide, Haverford College
RECENT
GRADS
CLASS
OF
2010
Jacob Artuso, Greater Latrobe Senior High School
Casey Columbus, Greater Latrobe Senior High School
Ashley Frederick, Mercersburg Academy
Rachel Harmatz, Ellis School
Joshua Hugo, Bishop McCort High School
Chandler Kurtz, Avon Old Farms School
Kylie Luke, Greater Latrobe Senior High School
Kristin Markitell, Shadyside Academy
Abby Mizak, Shadyside Academy
Connor Murphy, Woodberry Forest
Lilli Seabol, Hempfield Area High School
Sarah Selip, Greensburg Central Catholic High School
Noah Sprock, Shadyside Academy
Grace Tuscano, Bishop McCort High School
Mac Williams, Mercersburg Academy
the wheel WINTER 2011 /
10
Academic Awards
1st Trimester Academic Awards, 2010-2011
Valley School Scholars: Students who maintain an A- average (3.70) for all academic courses and an S average for electives
qualify for the Valley School Scholars.
5
5
6
6
6
Riley Currie
May Walton
Natalie Alcorn
Alyssa Daniele
Emma Frey
6
6
7
7
7
Ben Gardner
Tyler Stoner
Paige Alcorn
Hadley Ankrum
Grace Noel
8
8
8
8
8
Gabriella Bucci
Courtney Clark
Naveen Jain
Pal Palaniappan
Madaline Ritter
8 Abigail Wallisch
9 Andrew Turner
Honorable Mention: Students who maintain a B+ (3.30) overall average in academic courses for a term and also maintain an
S average in electives shall be awarded Honorable Mention.
5
6
6
6
6
6
6
Joseph Bucci
Kerry Broker
Capri Cable
Ward Castelli
Tyler Courtney
Nick Gongaware
Nathan Hugo
6
7
7
7
7
7
7
* Please note that
Emma Frey should have
been listed as Honorable
Mention for third
trimester, ’09-’10.
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Sophie O’Sullivan
Mackenzie Elder
Alex Ferlan
Cameron Kurtz
Sarah Meade
Veronica Tatone
Alexis Vittone
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
Katherine Caldwell
Willis Croker
Clayton Hepler
Bryan King
Barrett Naugle
Aine Marie Policastro
Zach Shaffer
8
9
9
9
9
Dylan Whitney
Ashley DeWalt
Ben Meade
Abigail Snyder
BreeOnna Springer
RILEY
CURRIE
GR ADE
5
Valley School News Update: 2010 Christmas Concert Interrupted by Music-loving Bat !!!
"Quick! Before the humans return! One more time from the top!"
Marketing Update
Marketing firm Wall-to-Wall Studios recently
submitted a marketing and communications
plan identifying our many unique strengths.
• Our unparalleled natural setting is the
most recognizable.
• Passionate leadership from the new head
of school and board reflect the feeling that
Valley School is truly a special place.
• Our strong values and traditions are
mirrored in the school’s long history and
“a consistency of experience that bonds
graduates and instills pride.”
• Valley’s strong curriculum and small
class size, as well as our faculty student
relationship, set us apart.
• Our students, past and present,
appreciate our committed faculty and the
“personal environment where students get
individual attention and regular interactions
with adults.”
The Board of Trustees has appreciated
these strengths over the years but it
was validating to have our observations
confirmed. As we reviewed these findings
and developed a marketing brand, we
wanted to create an image that conveys the
essence of Valley School. Our new logo,
which combines tradition with growth,
reflects these findings. The original Valley
seal will continue to be used for official
documents and events.
The taglines that are used in conjunction
with the new logo are themes to express our
message:
Education as nature intended.
At home in nature. At home in the world.
At home at Valley School.
Universal lesson, global experience,
local beauty.
Curiously Independent.
Continued on Pg. 14.
SEEN & HEARD
Science teacher Ron Nordstrom leads the
sixth graders in an outing to a quarry.
5 BELOW
Eighth and ninth grade boys enjoy the Christmas
Dance. Pictured are (l-r): Naveen Jain, Daniel Clark,
Bradley Coleman, Tony Gallucci, Willis Croker,
Andrew Turner, Clayton Hepler, and Barrett Naugle.
1 ABOVE
A mask designed by
Tyler Courtney during
the sixth grade unit on
African studies.
7 LEFT
Ella Williams as
a witch — 2010
Halloween.
1 ABOVE
Colored basketballs fill
the bushes at Valley
School after a fresh
winter snow.
5 BELOW
Maggie Elder
playing clarinet.
1 ABOVE
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Second graders, Natalie Perry, Lauren Herrington, and Alexis
McNeil, pause from play for a photo moment. 1 ABOVE
First grader Alexia Powers examines a lower school
science seashell display. 5 BELOW
Continued from Pg. 12.
If you visit our new website at
www.valleyschoolofligonier.org, you will see what our
marketing initiative has generated. The process helped
us uncover how fabulous our school truly is and will
help us spread the word. We have operated for years
as a best kept secret and it now makes sense for us to
begin advertising more of these specific traits.
NEWS AND
NOTES
SKI PROGR AM
75 students and parents participated in the ski
program at Hidden Valley Resort. Fourth grade
teacher Joanne Copeland comments, “Skiing with
friends on a Friday after school is a great way to
enjoy the winter. I am thankful that Valley School
supports this program. 25 years of organizing… and
I am still smiling when it snows!”
The Wheel is printed
on recycled paper.
Please Recycle.
NAIS CONFERENCE
Valley School’s entire faculty attended the national
conference of NAIS (National Association of
Independent Schools) in February. Our school was
the only regional independent school to send their
entire faculty. A follow-up article will be published
in the summer issue of The Wheel.
GOLF OUTING
As we begin work on a new strategic plan, we can use
the information gleaned from the perception audit
as a guide. We feel fortunate to have such a strong
foundation and will continue striving for excellence
and upholding our high standards in all aspects of our
children’s education.
A recommendation from our last strategic plan was
to establish a development office to help us connect
with all of our constituents. We are happy to announce
the opening of our new office and the hiring of a
development director, Emily Watson Nye (Class of
‘84). Please read more about this exciting new chapter
on page 5.
In the meantime, the new look of this newsletter is a
next step in our plan to unify our Valley School brand.
We know who we are, a compelling education option,
and want to convey that through consistent messaging.
We hope you are excited at all the opportunities it will
afford in Valley School’s future.
The 7th Annual Friends of Valley School Golf
Outing will be held at Laurel Valley Golf Club on
Tuesday, September 20, 2011. If you are interested
in golfing or attending the receptions either before
and/or following the tournament, please call the
school at (724) 238-6652. Corporate sponsorships
are still available; please contact Emily Watson Nye
at (724) 238-5028 for more information.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Despite flu outbreaks and school delays and
closings, the show must go on! The musical,
“Beauty and the Beast” was presented on Friday
evening, March 11, 2011. More details and photos
can be seen in the summer issue.
NEWSLETTER STAFF
Joan Castelli, Editor; Paul Baly; Jill Frey; Debbie Mewherter; Emily Watson Nye;
Rich Rohrer; Amy Stone; Jessi Yates.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
2010 – 2011
Larry Shirey, President; Marc Robertshaw, Vice President; John Turcik, Treasurer;
Helen Meyer, Secretary; Joan Castelli; Ralph Artuso; William Gurzenda; Steve Erb;
Scott Gongaware; Catharine Cathey; Dr. David Beyer; Dr. Denise DeNunzio.
the wheel WINTER 2011 /
14
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Ligonier, Pennylvania
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WINTER
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