Announcing an Inspiring All-School Summer Read
From Head of School Cathy McGehee
Most of us are well versed in the importance of female role models to inspire young women. Part of our mission is to make sure girls have strong female role models and to expand our curriculum to include diverse voices, and especially women's accomplishments in history and government, literature, STEM, global affairs, and arts.
To this end, we have selected an all-school summer reading selection: Visionary Women: How Rachel Carson, Jane Jacobs, Jane Goodall and Alice Waters Changed Our World by Andrea Barnet, an author and journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times Book Review, Smithsonian, and Harper's Bazaar among others. It is the story of four remarkable women, not linked by their professions or age, but by what Barnet calls their “monumental cultural impact.” Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring in 1962 and gave birth to the environmental movement; Jane Jacobs saved Greenwich Village from the government’s wrecking ball when a highway was slated for construction and revolutionized the field of urban planning; Jane Goodall’s groundbreaking research on chimpanzees changed the way we understand the animal world; and Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse, a highly influential restaurant in Berkeley, CA, that gave rise to the farm-to-table food movement.
Most of us are well versed in the importance of female role models to inspire young women. Part of our mission is to make sure girls have strong female role models and to expand our curriculum to include diverse voices, and especially women's accomplishments in history and government, literature, STEM, global affairs, and arts.
To this end, we have selected an all-school summer reading selection: Visionary Women: How Rachel Carson, Jane Jacobs, Jane Goodall and Alice Waters Changed Our World by Andrea Barnet, an author and journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times Book Review, Smithsonian, and Harper's Bazaar among others. It is the story of four remarkable women, not linked by their professions or age, but by what Barnet calls their “monumental cultural impact.” Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring in 1962 and gave birth to the environmental movement; Jane Jacobs saved Greenwich Village from the government’s wrecking ball when a highway was slated for construction and revolutionized the field of urban planning; Jane Goodall’s groundbreaking research on chimpanzees changed the way we understand the animal world; and Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse, a highly influential restaurant in Berkeley, CA, that gave rise to the farm-to-table food movement.
We selected this work, not only because it tells the story of remarkable women who changed the course of history, but because it reflects important educational initiatives at Foxcroft. As we work towards our strategic goal of utilizing our campus more intentionally in our curriculum, we can’t help but focus on being stewards of the environment, caring for animals, and building an inclusive and sustainable community. And this summer, we will be planning for a Foxcroft garden in order to help our students learn about food as well as enhance our menu options!
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Finally, Visionary Women is a great way to kick off our theme for the 2018-19 school year: Trail Blazers. As each student starts her journey at Foxcroft, we encourage her to blaze her own trail, literally as she hikes on miles of pristine wooded trails on campus, and figuratively, as she explores her unique voice, discovers her interests and talents, and advocates for positive changes in her community and in the world. We look forward to sharing more about our trailblazing theme throughout the coming year.
In the meantime, we hope our parents, faculty and staff will join us in learning more about these visionary women by reading along.
Enjoy!
More information on Visionary Women, as well as other 2018 summer reading assignments, is available on the "2018 Summer Reading" tile on the myFoxcroft Resource Board. For information on book buyback and ordering, read Academic Dean Courtney Ulmer's article here.
Enjoy!
Catherine S. McGehee
More information on Visionary Women, as well as other 2018 summer reading assignments, is available on the "2018 Summer Reading" tile on the myFoxcroft Resource Board. For information on book buyback and ordering, read Academic Dean Courtney Ulmer's article here.
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An all-girls boarding and day school in Northern Virginia, Foxcroft prepares young women in grades 9-12 for success in college and in life. Our outstanding academic program offers challenging courses, including Advanced Placement classes and an innovative STEM program. Our premiere equestrian program is nationally recognized, and our athletic teams have won conference and state championships. Experience the best in girls' boarding schools: visit Foxcroft.
