Academics

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Department

More Program Highlights

List of 6 items.

AP Courses

Many girls get a leg-up on college by taking Advanced Placement courses, which have a college-level curriculum taught at the high school level. To take these exceptionally challenging courses, which the College Board oversees, you must get permission from the department, do well in the prerequisite courses, and complete significant summer assignments first. In May, students take the AP Exams that match the courses they took; top scores may help you earn college credit.
Digital Literacy
Required for freshmen, the Digital Literacy class focuses on three crucial aspects of life in the digital age:
- your ability to find, evaluate, utilize, and share information;
- new ways for you to create content using information, technology, and the Internet;
- perhaps most importantly, digital safety so that you better understand the risks associated with putting information online and how to protect what you put there.
Educational Technology

Foxcroft strives to make the most effective use of educational technology in all disciplines. The Director of Educational Technology works with faculty to integrate appropriate and innovative technologies in support of student learning.
One Schoolhouse

Foxcroft is a charter affiliate member of the Online School for Girls, which expanded in 2016 to become One Schoolhouse. It presents courses that might not be offered at individual schools. With the approval of the Assistant Head of School for Academics and appropriate Department Chair, a student may take a course for credit during the school year or the summer. One Schoolhouse offers a variety of courses.
Wellness

Wellness is a four-year, research-based program targeted to the aspects of wellness that most affect our students. Freshmen attend a class that meets regularly during the fall to study topics ranging from nutrition and the female body to the principles of mindfulness, stress, and public speaking, among other things. The program continues with a variety of age-appropriate seminars through the subsequent three years.
Wintermission

Wintermission is a week-long term in February during which you take one or two intensive courses, generally on a topic very different from your usual classes. These courses encourage students and teachers to examine a subject in great depth and provide opportunities for off-campus travel and service. Students must successfully complete Wintermission each year they are at Foxcroft. Courses and grades will appear on students’ transcripts.

Faculty

List of 4 items.

25

advanced degrees
held by faculty
3

teachers have
Ph.D.s
93%

of faculty and administrators
live on campus
100%

offer extra help
outside of class

Wellness

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Wellness Program

Foxcroft's motto is mens sana in corpore sano (a healthy mind in a healthy body), and we help our girls live that through a robust Wellness program. Tailored to their needs and interests, topics change for each grade level and build upon one another, instilling in girls a strong foundation for all-encompassing well-being.

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Experiential Learning

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Learning is Everywhere

At Foxcroft, everything we do is curriculum — and that means learning occurs in many places and many ways. Foxcroft boasts a variety of unique programs focused on experiences outside the classroom and even beyond the front gate. Explore Experiential Learning at Foxcroft.

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STEM Initiative

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Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

At Foxcroft, these critical fields for the 21st century are compelling, engaging, and fun. Our landmark STEM Initiative emphasizes inquiry-based labs, using technology with confidence and ease, and hands-on problem-solving — and extends well beyond the classroom. Investigate STEM, one of Foxcroft’s signature programs.

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Schoolhouse News

A Grand Finale for the Academic Concentrations
6/4/2021
From Director of STEM Education Kristine Varney

This year the Academic Concentration program graduated ten students, the largest class since the program began in 2018. Topics of study among these seniors varied widely, from Global Studies student Shuhan L.’s exploration of non-profit organizations through her work with the Operation Smile program to Gracie S.’s STEM research about the history of humans as an outdoor and indoor species, which culminated in some self-experimentation with living exclusively indoors and then outdoors for several days last summer. Global Studies student Dami O. merged several areas of interest as she looked at the effects of history, identity, and culture on modern-day U.S.-China relations.
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Sharing Static Electricity Magic Tricks with Banneker Elementary Students
5/14/2021
From Kristine Varney, Director of STEM Education

For their final project, physics students were asked to demonstrate their understanding of static electricity. Using their knowledge of physics, students were asked to make a video demonstrating a static electricity magic trick then explain to the viewers both how to do the trick at home as well as the physics behind it. We definitely have some future YouTube and TikTok stars in our midst!
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A Starting Point Brings Film Crew to Campus
4/16/2021
Many in the Foxcroft community noticed a bit of excitement around Schoolhouse last Wednesday when a small film crew — three people, masked and following Foxcroft protocols — from A Starting Point (ASP), a website, app, and media distribution platform co-founded by actor and director Chris Evans, filmmaker and actor Mark Kassen, and media and technology entrepreneur Joe Kiani — visited campus. During third period, the crew filmed history teacher Erika Page and girls from her class as they used the ASP Homeroom civic engagement platform, one of the tools provided as part of the CloseUp Foundation’s Empowering Female Voices (EFV) program.
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Foxcroft Welcomes Whittney Preston as Dean of Inclusive Excellence
4/9/2021
Foxcroft is pleased to announce that Ms. Whittney Preston will join us as our inaugural Dean of Inclusive Excellence. Ms. Preston is on campus today and tomorrow, taking advantage of the beautiful spring weather to meet with faculty and students as well as to learn more about Foxcroft.
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Trio from Fidelity Speaks to Investment Club
4/9/2021
Foxcroft’s Investment Club hosted three speakers from Fidelity Investments for a lunchtime talk on Wednesday. Kate Hastings, Vice President of the Tri-State Region at Fidelity Family Office Services (and Foxcroft’s Board Chair) along with Lacey Johnson, CFP, a Vice President in the Family Office Services in Boston and Amanda Topping, CFP, a Director in Fidelity’s Digital Asset Services shared their career journeys and some eye-opening statistics about women and investing, and answered a few excellent questions from a large group of students gathered over Zoom to talk about all things financial.
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Contact

List of 3 members.

Courtney Ulmer

Assistant Head of School, Dorm Parent

540.687.4330

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Courtney Ulmer was born and raised in Baltimore, Md., and attended The Bryn Mawr School, an all-girls day school, for 13 years. Courtney also attended The College of William and Mary as an undergraduate and earned a master's degree in American History from Vanderbilt University. Before coming to Foxcroft she taught history in New Hampshire and Baltimore.

In 2013, Courtney became Foxcroft's Academic Dean, a new role that she embraced following seven years of teaching and serving as Chair of the History Department. Now that she has had time to settle into the Academic Office, Courtney is excited to be returning to the classroom this year to teach History of Western Art, which has been a passion of hers since her undergraduate days as a dual history and art history major.

She lives in Stuart Hall, where she serves as the Resident Relief. When not reading history books, Courtney enjoys sailing with her family on the Chesapeake Bay.
Elizabeth O'Quinn

Experiential Learning & Student Life Coordinator

540.687.4376

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A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design with a Bachelor's of Fine Arts and a Bachelor's of Interior Architecture, Beth O'Quinn made a career of applied arts and sciences, working for several architecture and interior design firms in both New York City and Washington, DC, and then running her own design firm. She has also engaged in volunteer work for various organizations in Loudoun County and serves on the Outreach Committee of Trinity Episcopal Church in Upperville, VA.

Beth is passionate about service learning and experiential education, in their many forms and coordinates special opportunities for Foxcroft students that included the Wintermission term, travel and exchange opportunities, the Exceptional Proficiency Program, and community service and volunteer experiences, both occasional and on-going.
Patty Boswell

Registrar and Administrative Assistant to the Assistant Head of School, Lead Dorm Parent

540.687.4332

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Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, Patty Boswell attended an all girls' private high school where she learned the value of single-sex education. She arrived at Foxcroft in May of 1990 with her family and began what was to become an unexpected adventure. After a brief stint on the switchboard, Patty became the Registrar/Administrative Assistant in the Academic Office in 1992. Always the faithful Hound, Patty proudly became the HoundBacker in 1999 and has lived in her Fox/Hound world ever since. In 2000, Patty added Court Housemother to her job description.

In her spare time, Patty enjoys spending time with her family — Patty's daughter Kelli graduated from Foxcroft in the Class of 2003. She also enjoys reading, listening to music and enjoying the company of her many pets.

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