One of Foxcroft’s enduring strengths has been the bonds that grow among those who are fortunate enough to spend time here. As current events unfold on the international stage, this is where Foxcroft women rise. We are leaders, problem solvers, creators, and friends you can always rely on.
Over the next few weeks, we hope you will join in celebrating the fortitude and kindness of the Foxcroft community. While we may not be able to travel to see one another, our reach is great and together we can accomplish much.
How can I participate?
We will have four days each honoring a hallmark of our School culture: Service, Learning, and Wellness, culminating in a virtual community Celebration. Watch your email for a newsletter and regular updates, or follow us on social media. Each day we will share examples and stories of Foxcroft community members who are performing acts of service, learning, and wellness. Take a moment to share with us what you are doing, by sending us an email (advancement@foxcroft.org) or by tagging us on social media!
Service to others is a long-standing tradition at Foxcroft and one that Miss Charlotte spoke of often and with fervor. As we collectively experience the challenges of our “new normal,” Foxcroft women continue to live out the School’s core value of service through acts of kindness, small and large. Whether you are a first responder, are making face masks, or are simply staying home and calling your loved ones to keep them connected, let us know what you are doing so we can show the world what service means to Foxcroft. All it takes is a quick photo, a short video, or tagging @foxcroftschool or @fxcalumnae online.
Day of Learning
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Wednesday, April 29
As our students continue their academic journey through distance learning, so too are our alumnae navigating a new landscape and taking the opportunity to acquire new skills. Foxcroft women are lifelong learners and continue to challenge themselves and grow. Whether you are homeschooling your child for the first time, studying a new language, or figuring out how to work from home, each of us is growing in new ways. Take a moment and send us a picture of you learning to cross-stitch, or a short video showcasing your newly acquired language skills. Are you posting photos of a new bread recipe? If so, tag @foxcroftschool or @fxcalumnae online!
Day of Wellness
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Thursday, May 7
Despite these trying times of uncertainty, changed routines, and social distancing, we are witnessing inspiring acts of self-care and self-expression that are helping us connect and persevere as a community. Foxcroft’s motto, Mens Sana in Corpore Sano a healthy mind in a healthy body, inspires us even today to prioritize overall wellness.
Whether you are live-streaming daily yoga classes, spending time outside in your garden, practicing the piano or working on a painting, taking care of our whole selves allows us to stay strong as a community. Share what keeps you healthy and happy! We want to see Zoom calls with friends, photos from dog walks, or hear about your favorite stress-relieving exercises. If it works for you, it could work for others—so send it our way!
Day of Celebration
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Tuesday, May 12
Join us on May 12 to celebrate the compassion, adaptability, and resilience of the Foxcroft community as we share the incredible things that you have done during the days of Service, Learning, and Wellness. It is our hope that the Foxcroft Celebration Days provide you with a source of joy and connection to your Foxcroft family.
So many of you have reached out with words of kindness and encouragement which continue to fill our hearts with warmth and gratitude. Several have also asked how you can help the School during this trying time. If you are in a position to help, please know that a gift to The Foxcroft Circle directly supports the people who teach and advise, who support our academic mission and program in their work outside the classroom, and who care for our 500-acre campus and buildings.
— Cathy McGehee, Head of School
“I know that Foxcroft is positioned to remain strong, and you are a key reason for that strength.”
We want to thank all of the amazing Foxcroft families who participated in Foxcroft’s Celebration Days! Many of you shared stories, gave gifts, and liked our posts on social media. Because of you, we, as a community, successfully came together in an incredible show of support and connection.
At Foxcroft Reunion Weekend in April 2019, the Class of 2010 was the recipient of the Reunion Giving Award for classes celebrating their 5th - 20th Reunion. If you asked me what motivated me to rally my class to give to The Foxcroft Circle, I would be lying if I said I was not partly fueled by competition. For those of you who do not know me, I am a Middleburg native, Fox cheerleader, lacrosse player, Court quad senior, and as competitive as they come.
Ceramics teacher and professional artist Jackie Jouvenal Washam has used her creative thinking skills to triumph yet again. She single handedly solved what might feel like an impossible brain teaser to many of us: How does one teach Ceramics online?
During this time of social distancing, with more time at home, many of us have been keeping busy cleaning and organizing our homes. Picket Randolph ’56 was doing just that, tidying up her desk when she made a joyous discovery. Her mother had saved almost all of the letters Pickett had written her as a student at Foxcroft! Pickett happily strolled down memory lane, reading all that her teenage self had to report about roommates (whom she loved), the food, homesickness, and of course, her dreams of making the Fox team!
These are some tricks and tips to help you curate a good sleep routine during a stressful time. Sleep is the cornerstone of mental health; without good sleep our bodies can not regulate and managing stress becomes very challenging. It is hard to find ways to ground ourselves when we feel in crisis. These are the times we need to go ‘back to basics’ and build a routine that feels like something important we are doing for our well-being. Just the intention behind our actions around sleep is half the battle. The following are just suggestions to help you develop a good sleep routine. The most important part is to remember to do your best and that trying to incorporate even one or two things is a win.
The Foxcroft Learning Center team was ready to tackle the challenge of switching to distance learning when it was first announced back in March. A lot of their work involves close relationships with students, being present, and being able to have one-to-one conversations. So, while they put their heads together and made a plan, Director of Student Services Erin Abbott sent an email to connect with students and their families. The message was simple: we are continuing to support the girls while they learn in this new virtual environment, and if any students not previously signed up for regular meetings would like to do so moving forward — let us know!
Wednesday night, to kick off Foxcroft’s Day of Wellness, and in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Alumnae Diversity & Inclusion Committee hosted a virtual gathering and open discussion focused on how we are each dealing with the current world. Alumnae attendees spanning several decades were joined by approximately 30 rising student leaders who participated as part of their training and preparation for their duties next fall.
A message from Lefty the Barn Cat, Director of Relaxation
I heard from my people at the stables that, with all that is going on right now, you humans might need help achieving a state of calm relaxation. As a cat, this is my natural state of being and I am a master at this skill. Well, as a cat, since we are superior beings, I am a master of many things... but, for today, we will start with this life lesson.
Self expression is key to overall wellness and many Foxcroft alumnae are using more time at home as an opportunity to express themselves through crafts and hobbies both new and rediscovered. Having a project to work on and feeling a sense of accomplishment with even small moments of progress can help us feel less stressed and more productive. One alumna who knows this to be true is Vivi Stevenson Miller ’81, who has taken on countless projects and has used this time to lean into her strengths as a textile and craft work artist.
The Foxcroft Lacrosse team and Coach Laura Moan have found a way to keep up their exercise regimen — and stay competitive. When Foxcroft first extended Spring Break in response to COVID-19 back in early March, Coach Moan emailed her team an exercise program with a variety of agility, speed, and strength options. While the teams typically receive workout and conditioning plans before the start of the school year in the fall and over long breaks, this plan was unique in that points were assigned to each exercise.
“Life is not a holiday, but an education, and every day we have hundreds of chances to make ourselves better.” — Miss Charlotte
Yesterday we celebrated Foxcroft’s Day of Learning, and we’ve discovered so much about what the Foxcroft community is doing to keep their brains stimulated and busy during their found time!
Courtney Ulmer, Assistant Head of School for Academics
What we know about Miss Charlotte and the School she founded was that she wanted her girls to rise and meet any challenge. The COVID-19 global pandemic has tested us all over the past few weeks and will continue to do so over the upcoming months and longer. Miss Charlotte would have made sure that there would continue to be opportunities for learning and teaching no matter the circumstances. While she might not have predicted Google Docs and Zoom meetings (or maybe she could have), what she could have anticipated is how well current Foxcroft students and teachers would adapt to distance learning and to “keeping up with the times.”
“Never let us forget to be kind; help us to be unselfish in friendship, thoughtful to those less happy than ourselves, and eager to bear the burdens of others.” – Miss Charlotte
Thank you for sharing your moments of service by participating in our Day of Service – the very first of our Foxcroft Celebration Days! It was inspiring to see how members of our community live out the School’s core value of service through acts of kindness, small and large. If you were not able to catch all of these uplifting moments, you can view them on the Foxcroft Celebration Days landing page.
Hattie Peabody Laveran ’85 knows the importance of good health, so when she found out that there was a shortage of masks in her area she knew that she had the skills and the ability to help! Hattie’s business, The Little Pillow Shop, has been a labor of love ever since cancer forced her career path in a different direction several years ago.
‘Service Above Self,’ the Rotary International motto adopted in 1950, was coined nearly four decades after Miss Charlotte started instilling that belief in her Foxcroft girls. She taught us the value of stewardship – for our community, our world, and our people. Local delivery services in my area are delayed up to ten days so I have worked to keep some of the older members of my community safe and at home by dropping off food and prescriptions, or by just checking in by phone to keep them socially involved.
Back when I was at Foxcroft we had two places to "share" with the community, either teaching art to lower classes in the public school in Middleburg or volunteering at The Loudoun Fauquier Health Center. I had always had an interest in medicine and chose the Health Center.
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.