Spring 2009 - Baldwin School

B A L D W I N F O R B R A I N S I F R E N C H E X C H A N G E I S P R I N G 2 0 0 9
Single sex education opens doors for Baldwin girls

Sally M. Powell
ECHOES
Editor: Leslie Pfeil
Photo credits: Laurie Peterson,
Leslie Pfeil, Kathleen Simone,
Pete Stone, Yun Gen Yang. Photos
in Class Notes and some feature
articles are supplied by individual
alumnae, students and Development
Office staff. Photos of French
trip courtesy of Lori Johnson
Clark ’85.
All photographs are identified left
to right unless otherwise noted.
The Echoes is published for the
alumnae, parents, students, friends
and staff of The Baldwin School.
We welcome letters regarding the
contents of the magazine and/or
issues pertaining to the school.
Letters must be signed. The editor
retains the right to edit at discretion.
Please send correspondence to:
Leslie Pfeil, Editor, Echoes
The Baldwin School
701 Montgomery Ave.
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
Or lpfeil@baldwinschool.org
Echoes is printed on recycled paper.
At a time when the majority of
my recent articles have focused
on the economy, it is with a
welcomed sigh of relief that I turn my
thoughts to academics. After all, that’s
what we’re all about, right? Any alumna
of a certain era remembers the rhyme
about our local girls’ schools with its line
“Baldwin for brains” – we’ve always been
about smart girls, and we always will be.
As you read this edition of Echoes
you will see that excellence in girls’
education remains the core of
our identity. We continue to
celebrate, empower and draw
out the potential of the young
minds in our care. As their
intellectual selves develop, we
must ensure that the creative
side of our girls also is nurtured. Our
alumnae, of all ages, need to use their
minds with ingenuity and insight as well
as compassion for our ever-changing
world. Providing an environment where
creativity is celebrated, valued and taught
(yes, taught) is necessary for the future
well-being of our world. No matter
how you choose to measure success,
every exceptional leader, entrepreneur,
artist, writer or student leans not just on
her academic prowess but also on her
creativity. Brilliant individuals are often
described as “non-traditional learners;”
MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD
Nurturing the Leaders and
Problem Solvers of Tomorrow
“…excellence in
girls’ education
remains the core
of our identity.”
they are bright but more likely to think
outside the box and push their own
thinking to question typical boundaries.
Baldwin’s profound
understanding of the way young
women learn brings great strength
to the development of future leaders
in our global society. Teaching in an
environment which is rich in intellectual
stimulation and which nurtures creativity
and freedom of expression will help girls
forge their paths for our future. At a recent
conference, a colleague made
the following observation.
“At the beginning of the
school year,” he said, “I ask
parents to tell me, by a show
of hands, who wants their
child to be a good problem
solver. All hands, of course, rise in to the
air. I then ask which of them wants their
child to have problems. All hands remain
folded on their laps.” Without challenge,
without problems to meet and solve, how
can a school responsibly claim to nurture
problem solvers?
And this is where Baldwin comes
in. With just the right balance of support
and challenge, intellectual development
and creativity, our girls thrive and learn to
be great problem solvers. This academic
journey is not always easy; nor should it
be. But it is Baldwin’s way.

Contents
Inside Front
A Message from the Head
Baldwin for Brains
2 Girls’ school grads are well prepared
for college
Recent research highlights benefits of a
single-sex education
8 French Exchange marks 20th anniversary
Program provides an opportunity for total
immersion
By Beth Cope
9 Learning to Write
The power of the pen still reigns at Baldwin
By Beth Cope
10 Baldwin Newsmakers
People and Events
12 In the Zone
Parents’ Community Gala is a sporty event
13 Good Sports
Winter Highlights
Page 10
14 Alumnae Regional Events
Philadelphia, New York and
Washington, D.C.
S P R I N G 2 0 0 9 V O L 7 5 N O 2
T H E BA L DW I N
ECHOES
Page 10
16 The Baldwin Bookshelf
Recent Works by Alumnae
17 Class Notes
Edited by Anne Plutzer Burns ’96, director
of alumnae, and Blake Forrest, assistant to
the director of alumnae
Focus on You
Spotlight on Alumnae
By Mary Scott McElroy ‘53
Vital Statistics: Marriages, Births and Deaths
By Alisan Buckley Henderson ‘49
Inside Back
What’s Good for Business
Page 12
Page 14
Page 10
Baldwin mom, Katie Rhodes, is the first
woman to cross the finish line at the
2009 Alex Wake ’05 Memorial 5K Run.
Page 10
Fourth graders, Marquis Lichtenstein,
Jasmine Greytok, Anna Hilzinger, Jennifer
Dietrich and Roya Alidjani help to
welcome new citizens at a Naturalization
Ceremony.
Page 12
Phillies paraphernalia was popular at the
sports-themed auction sponsored by the
Parents’ Association.
Page 14
Ann Cappalonga Bunn ’85, Rebecca
MacLean Northington ’93 and Emelie
Posner Collett ’92 visit during an April
alumnae regional gathering.
On the Cover:
The Baldwin Gates (Photo by Pete Stone)
On the Back Cover:
Runners are off to a fast start at the 2009
Alex Wake ’05 Memorial Run and Walk.
(Photo by Leslie Pfeil)

2
Women graduates of
single-sex schools
exhibit higher academic
engagement than do
their coeducational
counterparts, according
to the UCLA study.
Girls’ school grads have an edge
Editor’s Note: The following in an excerpt from the report,
“Women Graduates of Single-Sex and Coeducational High
Schools: Differences in their Characteristics and the Transition
to College,” published in March by the UCLA Graduate School of
Education & Information Studies.
Interest in single-sex education has been on the
rise over the past two decades, first in the private
sector and more recently in the public sector
following the U.S. Department of Education’s
2006 authorization of single-sex classes in public
schools. As opportunities for public and private singlesex
education have expanded, the debate surrounding
this issue has become more heated. Sex-segregated
schools and classrooms are viewed by many as a possible
antidote to gender inequities that have been documented
throughout all levels of education. Others, however, raise
concerns that single sex settings run the risk of reinforcing
sex-based stereotypes and exacerbating gender gaps
in educational opportunity.

The UCLA study shows that graduates of girls’ schools have a greater chance
of transitioning to the academic rigors of college than their coed peers do
The ongoing debate over single-sex education has led
to greater demand for evidence of its effectiveness.
Researchers, educators, policymakers, and the publicat-large
are anxious to know whether single-sex education
makes a difference, and if so, how, and for whom?
Recent reviews of research on single-sex education have
concluded that the evidence is mixed, due in large part to
the difficulty of attributing differences between single-sex
and coeducational students specifically to the single-sex
nature of their experience. All reviews emphasize the
need for more research on single-sex education, especially
that which examines a variety of outcomes, uses large
and representative samples, and relies on sophisticated
methodologies that can disentangle the effects of singlesex
schooling from other confounding influences.
Commissioned by the National Coalition of Girls’
Schools (NCGS), this report contributes new data to the
debate over single-sex education, with a focus exclusively
on the experience of female students from single-sex and
coeducational high schools. Drawing from the renowned
Freshman Survey, an annual, nationwide study of students
entering their first year of college conducted by
UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute, the study
compares the backgrounds, behaviors, attitudes, and aspirations
of 6,552 women graduates of 225 private singlesex
high schools with 14,684 women who graduated from
1,169 private coeducational high schools; the database
also includes responses of male students, though they are
not examined in this report. The research separately considers
female students from independent and Catholic
school sectors, and distinguishes the effects of single-sex
schooling from the role played by other high school
characteristics as well as the demographic backgrounds
of females who attend all-girls schools. Due to its large,
national sample and number of control variables, this
current study aims to make a notable contribution to the
research on single-sex education.
Key Findings
Differences between single-sex and coeducational alumnae
were assessed in two ways. The first involved simple
descriptive comparisons between these groups within
independent and Catholic school sectors, and the second
involved a multilevel analysis that accounted for differences
in the single-sex and coeducational groups in terms
of their background characteristics and features of the
high school they attended.
Significant Differences
The descriptive results reveal significant differences
between single-sex and coeducational alumnae. Though
generally small, distinctions extend across multiple categories,
including self-confidence, political and social activism,
life goals, and career orientation. Although future
research will need to tell us whether such differences are
sustained throughout college and beyond, at least at the
point of college entry, most results are favorable to singlesex
graduates. These include the following statistically
significant differences:
Greater Academic Engagement. Women graduates of
single-sex schools exhibit higher academic engagement
than do their coeducational counterparts as measured
by survey questions on time spent studying or doing
homework, studying with other students, tutoring other
students and talking with teachers outside of class:
• Nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of women graduates of
independent single-sex schools report spending 11 or
more hours per week studying or doing homework in
high school, compared to less than half (42 percent) of
independent coeducational graduates. Study levels are
comparatively lower among Catholic school alumnae,
though the gap between single-sex and coeducational
graduates remains significant (35 percent for Catholic
single-sex versus 24 percent for Catholic coeducational
graduates).
S P R I N G E C H O E S 2 0 0 9

• Students from single-sex schools are also more likely to
engage in group study, with a full 53 percent of independent
single-sex graduates reporting that they study with
other students on a frequent basis, compared with 45
percent among independent coeducational graduates.
Within Catholic schools, this difference is 40 percent for
Catholic single-sex graduates versus 34 percent of Catholic
coeducational graduates.
• Additional evidence of peer-based academic engagement
is seen in the finding that nearly two-thirds (65
percent) of women graduates of independent single-sex
schools report frequently or occasionally tutoring other
students in high school, compared with 58 percent
among women who attended independent coeducational
schools.
• Single-sex graduates also report more time talking with
teachers outside of class, especially in the independent
school sector, where 37 percent of single-sex graduates
reported spending three or more hours per week meeting
with teachers apart from class, compared to 30 percent
among women graduates of independent coeducational
schools.
Girls’ School graduates are more comfortable
than their coed peers with subjects such as
science, math and technology.
S I N G L E S E X E D U C AT I O N
Higher SAT Scores. Women who attended single-sex
schools tended to outscore their coeducational counterparts
on the SAT. Mean SAT composite scores (Verbal
plus Math) are 43 points higher for single-sex graduates
within the independent school sector, and 28 points higher
for single-sex alumnae in the Catholic school sector.
Greater Interest in Graduate School. Women who
attended single-sex schools are slightly more likely than
those who attended a coeducational school to say that
they are going to college to prepare for graduate school
(71 percent to 66 percent) and to choose a college because
its graduates are admitted to top graduate schools (45
percent to 41 percent).
Higher Academic Self-Confidence. In addition to reporting
higher levels of academic engagement, single-sex
graduates—especially those from independent schools—
tend to exhibit slightly higher levels of academic self-confidence:
• 81 percent of women graduates of independent single-

Q & A On the UCLA Research
Q What are the most significant findings in the research?
A The distinct qualifiers that separate graduates of girls’ schools from their peers
in coed schools are:
· Higher confidence in mathematical ability and computer skills
· Higher self-rated academic ability and intellectual confidence
· Stronger communication skills
· Higher academic engagement
· Greater interest in graduate school
· Stronger predisposition towards extracurricular engagement
· Higher political awareness
· More likely to pursue a career in engineering
Q What happens within a girls’ school that leads to these results?
A The interplay of climate, culture, and community in a girls’ school combined
with high expectations contribute to generating self-confidence and a ‘can
do’ attitude. In the absence of social distraction and gender stereotyping, girls
exercise their abilities, take learning risks, and explore new horizons. There is a
focus on learning and achieving.
Q Is there a reason why graduates of girls’ schools display higher levels of
academic engagement?
A Girls’ schools are pro-academic choices. Learning is center stage. There’s
serious engagement. Students are not distracted by the presence of boys. They
are uninhibited about raising their hands, speaking out in classroom discussions,
and exploring subject matter. Girls’ school graduates see non-traditional subject
areas such as math and technology as open areas to explore. Their curiosity and
confidence lead them forward.
Q What accounts for the greater confidence in math ability and computer skills
and the bigger interest in engineering?
A There is an assumption that girls will persist and achieve in these subject areas.
And they do! Engaging girls in active learning, experimenting, tinkering as well as
putting math, technology and engineering to work has a positive impact. Seeing
how skills in these areas are applied (beyond the classroom and for social good) is
critical, as are strong mentors.
Q In the late 1980s, Carol Gilligan wrote about girls losing their voices. Have
times changed? Is this still an issue?
A Times have changed. The research documents significantly higher
communication and public speaking skills among graduates of girls’ schools. They
haven’t lost their voices. They are confident, with hands raised in the classroom.
Q Girls graduating from single-sex schools indicate high levels of engagement
in politics. What accounts for that?
A The research notes the frequency of political discussions in classrooms and
active encouragement in leadership positions, broader participation in student
government, training in speaking with conviction all contribute to greater
interest and involvement in politics.
Q Differences between the populations appear to be small. Are they really
significant?
A Yes! Even when controlled for a variety of school and student characteristics,
the differential findings remain statistically significant.
Q Were socioeconomic variances taken into consideration in the analysis of
the data?
A Yes. A variety of statistical analyses were used to account for sample variances
(socio-economic background, race/ethnicity background, educational level of
parents, type and quality of schools).
Q Student responses to the survey were self-reported. To what degree might
that distort the findings?
A The data was assessed for its validity using factor analyses and the predictive
validity of a student’s actual achievement outcomes. This study and others like it
on college students using self-reported data demonstrate statistical reliability.
Q How does this research differ from other research conducted by NCGS, by
other agencies?
A NCGS has conducted a number of studies on its graduates. The findings were
positive in terms of outcomes, academic focus, the building of self-confidence,
participation in the sciences. The UCLA research takes NCGS and educational
researchers three steps forward: 1) a large national sample is accessed; 2)
variables related to school and student socio-economic variables are accounted
for; and 3) graduates of girls’ schools are compared to their female counterparts
in coed schools (independent, public, parochial).
Q Do the findings in this study contribute to the discussion about single-sex
schools in the public sector? Can they be carried over?
A The UCLA study was conducted on students entering college in 2005. Girls’
public schools had minimal representation at that time. We see nothing to
discourage our thinking that similar findings would surface in girls’ public
schools. Early evidence indicates that similar positive outcomes occur among
students from underserved communities. As an example, almost 100% of the
graduates of The Young Women’s Leadership School (East Harlem, NY) pursue
higher education with confidence in their abilities and a keen academic focus.
Q The all-girl school sample was divided into two populations – one
independent private, the other girls’ Catholic schools. Any notable differences?
A The sample of graduates of girls’ schools (independent and Catholic) provided a
robust population to examine in the aggregate and then by subgroup. Graduates
of girls’ independent schools differ from their Catholic girls’ school ‘sisters’ in the
following ways: More came from more affluent and highly educated families, and
they tended to be more motivated toward college and more confident in their
math, academic and writing ability. Independent school alumnae were more
academically engaged, more politically liberal and less religious.
Q The students surveyed were in their first year of college. What do we know
about how the benefits of their all-girl education will persist through college
and beyond?
A In June, Dr. Linda Sax will be able to analyze whether the sample size of 2005
first year responders will be large enough to conduct a follow-up study of the
graduating seniors. In the meantime, we can point to NCGS research which shows
the lasting impact of the girls’ school experience.
Q What about the real world? It’s coed. So how do girls’ schools fit in?
A Girls learn to stand on their own two feet in girls’ schools, unencumbered by
gender stereotypes, benefitting from strong female (and male) mentors. They
are able to be uninhibited in their exploring. Gains in self-confidence, a belief in
possibilities, enjoying the sound and strength of their own voice, a commitment
to community, and enjoyment in competition — what better training is there for
the ‘real world’!
Q Collaboration is viewed as strength of a girls’ school. What about competition?
A Traditionally boys have been taught to win, and often to win at any cost. Girls
like to win, too! And when they win, they then tend to look for the win-win.
When they achieve, they tend to look to share, and to mentor. When it comes to
competing with boys, we see our graduates standing side by side with men of
high achievement.
Q If single-sex education is a good option for girls, is the same true of boys?
A Research needs to be conducted to determine that. We would encourage our
male counterparts to conduct a similar study.
S P R I N G E C H O E S 2 0 0 9 5

sex schools rate themselves “above average” or in the
“highest 10 percent” for academic ability, compared to
75 percent of women graduates of independent coeducational
schools.
• Nearly 60 percent of women graduates of independent
single-sex schools rate themselves “above average” or in
the “highest 10 percent” with regard to intellectual selfconfidence,
compared to 54 percent of their independent
coeducational school counterparts.
• 64 percent of women graduates of independent singlesex
schools rate their writing ability “above average” or
in the “highest 10 percent” compared to 59 percent of
independent coeducational school graduates.
• 45 percent of women graduates of independent singlesex
schools rate their public speaking ability “above
average” or in the “highest 10 percent,” compared to 39
percent of women graduates of independent coeducational
schools.
Higher Confidence in Mathematical Ability and
Computer Skills. Graduates of single-sex schools also
arrive at college with greater confidence in their mathematical
and computer abilities:
• The gap in math confidence is most pronounced in the
independent school sector, where 48 percent of female
graduates of independent single-sex schools rate their
math ability “above average” or in the “highest 10 percent”
compared to 37 percent of independent coeducational
graduates.
• With regard to computer skills, 36 percent of women
graduates of independent single-sex schools rate themselves
in the highest categories, compared to 26 percent
of women graduates of independent coeducational
schools. A similar gap in computer skill self-confidence
exists for Catholic school alumnae, with 35 percent of
single-sex graduates rating their computer skills as above
average or in the highest 10 percent compared to 27 percent
of coeducational graduates.
S I N G L E S E X E D U C AT I O N
Greater Interest in Engineering Careers. Career aspirations
are largely similar for graduates of single-sex and
coeducational schools, except when it comes to engineering.
Single-sex school alumnae are more likely than their
coeducational peers to state that they plan to become
engineers. The single-sex versus coeducation gap is
greatest in the 10 independent schools, where single-sex
alumnae are three times more likely than women graduates
of coeducational schools to report that they intend to
pursue a career in engineering (4.4 versus 1.4 percent).
Stronger Predisposition Towards Co-Curricular
Engagement. Graduates of single-sex schools are more
likely than their coeducational counterparts to report
that there is a very good chance they will participate in
student clubs or groups while they are in college. This
is especially true in the independent sector, where 70
percent anticipate involvement in campus organizations,
compared to 60 percent of coeducational alumnae.
Greater Political Engagement. Female graduates of
single-sex schools are more likely than their coeducational
counterparts to report that they frequently discuss
politics in class and with friends. Political engagement
is especially strong at independent schools, where 58
percent of independent single-sex graduates report that
it is “very important” or “essential” for them to keep up
to date with political affairs, compared to 48 percent of
women graduates of independent coeducational schools.
Women at Catholic single-sex schools also are more likely
to value political engagement (43 percent compared to 36
percent).
Results of Multilevel Analyses
Though the descriptive analyses reveal more than one
hundred statistically significant differences between women
graduates of single-sex and coeducational schools,
what is most noteworthy is the number of differences
that remain statistically significant when accounting for
background differences between these two populations,
including student demographics (e.g., race/ethnicity, family
income, and parental education) as well as characteristics
of the high schools they attended (e.g., enrollment
and course offerings).

Specifically, the second part of our analyses used
hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to reveal that allgirls
schools—whether independent or Catholic-affiliated—produce
graduates who enter college slightly more
academically and politically engaged than women from
similar backgrounds who attended coeducational private
schools. Girls’ schools also produce alumnae who possess
more confidence in their mathematical and computer
skills, and are more likely to desire careers in engineering.
Additional benefits are found specifically within the
Catholic school sector, where attendance at an all-girls
school enhances students’ scientific orientation (especially
for Latinas), predicts higher SAT scores, and promotes
an orientation towards college that is more educationally-motivated
and less economically-motivated than is
found among female graduates of Catholic coeducational
schools.
Favorable Outcomes
This study identifies several areas in which single-sex education
appears to produce favorable outcomes for female
students, especially in terms of their confidence, engagement,
and aspirations, most notably in areas related to
math and science. Thus, while the benefits of single-sex
education are fairly small, they tend to be in areas that
have historically favored men and therefore represent a
potentially effective vehicle for mitigating longstanding
gender gaps.
Yet, the report also acknowledges that we cannot
draw unilateral conclusions about single-sex education,
as such determinations depend on which populations
are studied, which student and school characteristics are
considered, and which outcomes are examined.
Thus, the study points the way towards an important
research agenda on this topic: How and why
do single-sex schools produce positive outcomes and
which conditions could be transferred to coeducational
schools? Which types of students benefit most from
single sex education? Do the benefits of single-sex education
persist throughout college and beyond? In addition,
how do the effects of single-sex education compare
for males versus females? Attention to these questions
using carefully designed and executed studies will add
vital context to the ongoing debate regarding public and
private single-sex schooling.
About This Study
“Women Graduates
of Single-Sex and
Coeducational High
Schools: Differences in
their Characteristics
and the Transition
to College,” analyzes
the effects of attending single-
sex high schools on students’ transition
to college. Commissioned by the National
Coalition of Girls Schools (NCGS), the study
was conducted by UCLA’s Higher Education
Research Institute.
Principal investigator and author of the
study’s final report was Linda J. Sax,
associate professor of Higher Education
in the Graduate School of Education &
Information Studies at UCLA. In addition to
having been awarded a 2007-08 Fellowship
from the Sudikoff Family Institute for
Education & New Media, Dr. Sax is a
recipient of the 2005 Scholar-in-Residence
Award from the American Association
of University Women. Working with her
were Emily Arms, Ph.D., Maria Woodruff,
M.A., Tiffani Riggers, M.S.Ed., and Kevin
Eagan, M.A. The Sudikoff Family Institute
for Education & New Media at the UCLA
Graduate School of Education & Information
Studies made publication of this study
possible.
For more information on the study and
NCGS, visit www.ncgs.org. To download a
copy of the full report, please visit
www.gseis.ucla.edu/sudikoff.
S P R I N G E C H O E S 2 0 0 9 7

This March when a contingent of Baldwin
French students and faculty traveled to France
during spring break, they not only enjoyed 10
glorious days of touring and attending classes,
they also celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Baldwin
French Exchange Program.
The exchange program was initiated in 1989 by former
Chair of the French Department and beloved teacher, Pierrette
David, who wanted to put in practice the philosophy
of Baldwin’s Language Department that it is essential for
students to use what they have
learned in the classroom.
Mme. David partnered
with the nearby Shipley
School to create a two-year
exchange format that sends
about 40 Baldwin and
Shipley students to France
one year and then the next
year, brings their French
“correspondents” to the
United States for a visit. All
students are paired with a
host family with whom they
live for 10 days. They attend classes at their school, Notre
Dame de Mongré, and participate in the daily life of their
correspondent.
Mme. David, who devoted herself to the program, was
its coordinator for 16 years. The coordinator of the trip for
the past four years has been Baldwin French teacher, Josiane
Mariette, who this year chaperoned the trip along with current
French Department Chair Lori Johnson Clark ’85 and
Physical Education teacher, Joan Merkins.
Clark said of the experience, “The linguistic benefits
are incredible. The students are in a total immersion situation.
We try to create this total immersion setting in the
classroom. This is ideal for students because they use all the
vocabulary and grammar they have learned in the classroom
Baldwin and Shipley students during their 2009 visit to France.
BY BETH C O P E
Celebrating
20 years of
international exchange
Baldwin’s French Exchange
Program is an integral part
of the curriculum
while living in the country. It may be daunting at first, but
the students are very quickly rewarded for their efforts. In
fact, when they come back, they dream in French!”
France is the largest country in Western Europe and
very varied geographically; each region has its own unique
beauty. The students spend 10 days in Villefranche sur
Saône, known as the “gate” to the Beaujolais region, with its
gorgeous landscapes and beautiful golden stone architecture
(“la pierre dorée.”) During their stay in the Beaujolais, the
students also explore Lyon, the gastronomical capital
of France, and picturesque
Avignon. Another highlight of
the trip includes a three-day/
night stay in Paris. Students
may also visit the Alps, the
French Riviera and other cities
in Provence with their host
families. One year, a French
host family took their Baldwin
“daughter” on a weekend
excursion to visit the Loire
Valley, yet another region rich
with history.
Mariette said, “It is
amazing how the girls are ready to embrace a foreign culture
and eager to learn about French history while visiting the
cultural and historical sites such as Versailles, the Louvre
and the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris.”
While it is very exciting for the students to use their
language skills and for teachers to see their lessons come to
life, Clark feels that “one of the most beautiful parts of the
trips is that students form lasting friendships. I recently got
an email from a Mongré student who wanted to get back in
touch with a correspondent from 12 years ago! They had
become good friends but had lost touch the last few years.
The exchange is a wonderful bonding experience.”
In April of 2010, the French students who hosted
this past spring will visit their Baldwin and Shipley correspondents.
They will attend classes, and they
also will visit New York City, Philadelphia and
Washington, D.C.
The Exchange Program is not a tourist
approach to learning—it’s total immersion and
that is why it has been an integral part of the
French curriculum for the past 20 years.
Beth Cope teaches English and is director of the
Writing Center at Baldwin.

Writing at Baldwin
Students learn that the journey is as important as the destination
When Ernest Hemingway was asked why he had to
write the last page of The Sun Also Rises 39 times, he promptly
responded that he was trying to get “the words right.” Hemingway’s
deceptively simple answer highlights the challenges and
complexity of writing.
Dr. Olive Ledlie, chair of Baldwin’s English Department,
notes that, “Writing is a process of discovery.” She observes that
“students often have a broad idea of what they want to write
about as they begin, but as they write, they find new ideas—
that’s the discovery part. They may begin with a thesis, but often
have to change it by the time they have finished writing.”
At Baldwin, all the teachers use a writing workshop approach
in their classrooms. Students meet in small groups or as a
whole class to share drafts and ideas about a topic. One student
remarked, “When I hear what my classmates are thinking about,
it gives me suggestions for my paper.” Students are encouraged
to write multiple drafts to convey their ideas in the most fluid and
organized manner.
Electives
Senior Electives are an exciting aspect of Baldwin’s English
program in the Upper School. Course topics range from the novels
of Jane Austen and Shakespeare’s comedies to more contemporary
stories about Afghanistan and Iran. Students may also study
existentialism in literature, the heroic quest, and creative writing.
In these courses, students not only write analytical papers about
the texts, but also poetry, personal narratives and creative short
stories. Teachers offer opportunities for students to express themselves
in a variety of genres.
Baldwin has a Writing Center where students may receive
feedback on poems, stories, research papers and essays. Student
tutors volunteer in the Center, and a member of the English
Department is the director. The Center also provides information
about the numerous organizations that sponsor writing contests
and publish student work. A Creative Writing Workshop meets
regularly for interested upper school students. The workshop
participants recently attended “A Young Writers’ Retreat,”
facilitated by two former Baldwin students who have become
professional writers.
BY BETH C O P E
Awards
Baldwin students have
won many regional and
national awards. Last
year, an eighth grader
was one of a limited
Students are taught that writing is a process.
number of students from
around the country who
won a Promising Young Writer Award from the National Council of
Teachers of English (NCTE), and a junior was one of a select group
of students nationally to win an Achievement Award in Writing
from NCTE. This year two freshmen won writing awards: one won
a regional award in poetry from the Alliance for Young Artists and
Writers and another won a national award for an essay contest
conducted by Creative Communication, an organization that
promotes writing in young people. In addition, seven Middle and
Upper School students won prizes in a local poetry contest, and
eight Lower School students won prizes in the annual Gladwyne
Junior Authors Contest. Last fall, three Upper School students won
prizes in the Philadelphia Young Playwrights Festival.
In Print
At Baldwin, students are encouraged to make their writing public.
The Upper School literary magazine, The Roman Candle, and the
Middle School literary magazine, The Thirteenth Hour, are both
published annually. All Baldwin students are urged to submit
poems, short stories, essays, photography and artwork to these
student-run publications. One of the most gratifying aspects of
writing is sharing it with others. Teachers sometimes collect pieces
and make packets for that class to keep. The teachers emphasize
that sharing completed work is important, because students often
take great pride in what they have created. Internal publications
are as valid as external or national publications. Ultimately,
the teachers hope to foster confident, capable, proficient and
creative thinkers who will continue writing long after they leave
Baldwin’s halls.
Beth Cope teaches English and is director of the Writing Center at
Baldwin.
S P R I N G E C H O E S 2 0 0 9 9

10
A B
A Winning medals in their age group of 11 to 14 years at the Alex Wake ’05 Memorial
5K Run are Baldwin students, Arden Simone ’13, (center) first and eighth overall, and
Madison Noteware ’12 (right), second and 33rd overall. Left is third-place runner Hillary
Hoffstein.
B Leading their classmates in a presentation at an April Naturalization Ceremony are
fourth graders, Lauren Fosnocht, Zhane Austin, Madison Sanders, Joely Simon and
Sydney Atlas. Behind them is the Hon. Gene E.K. Pratter of the U.S. District Court of
Eastern Pennsylvania.
C Members of the a cappella ensembles, the Eliza-B-thans and the B-Flats, Caroline
Sawin’11, Julia Pedrick ’11, Alexandra Kontra ’11 and Wendy Morrison ’11 performed at an
Elizabethan Banquet hosted by Baldwin’s Music Department.
Baldwin Newsmakers
RUNNING FOR ALEX
Over 100 runners and scores of volunteers and supporters turned out on a soggy
Saturday morning, May 2, to participate in the sixth Alex Wake ’05 Memorial 5K
Run and 1 Mile Walk. Nearly $20,000 was raised for the Alex Wake ’05 Scholarship
Fund that honors the memory of the former student who was murdered in
2002. Organized by Baldwin’s Blue/Gray association, the Student Athletic Association
and staff from both the Development and Athletic Departments, the run
and the walk were road races that began and ended on the Baldwin campus.
Electronic chip timing was used for all runners, and medals were awarded in
eight age categories. To see more photos of the Walk and Run, visit the Media
Gallery at www.Baldwinschool.org.
WELCOMING NEW CITIZENS
For the past four years, the fourth grade has traveled to the James A. Byrne
Federal Courthouse in Philadelphia to witness and participate in a Naturalization
Ceremony. At this year’s ceremony, there were 115 women and men from
44 different countries, who became naturalized citizens of the United States of
America. The main speakers for this April 17 ceremony were all women, begin-
C
ning with the host, the Hon. Gene E.K. Pratter, a federal court justice in the Eastern
District of Pennsylvania, who is also a former Baldwin trustee and mother
of Paige Pratter Perrine ’94. The Baldwin fourth graders performed an original
poem about American holidays as part of the ceremony. Following the ceremony,
they were treated to a tour of the courthouse that included opportunities to sit in
the witness box and the jury section and at the defense and prosecutor’s tables.
The students all appeared quite comfortable in these settings.
YE OLDE BANqUET
Baldwin’s Music Department hosted an Elizabethan Banquet on March 1 in the
School’s Dining Room. The menu included Olde English Faire, and entertainment
was provided by the various Baldwin musical ensembles as well as the
Haverford School Notables, the Give and Take Jugglers and the Dave Gillies
Troupe. Performers and guests donned authentic costumes of the period, and
court dancing followed the dinner and concert. The event served as a fitting
fundraiser for the Music Department’s upcoming performance tour of England
and Scotland in spring of 2010.

C D
E F
People & Events
GUTSE GIRLS
The 17th annual Girls United to Save the Environment (GUTSE) Day may have
been rained out on its first scheduled day in April, but the girls from Baldwin
and Agnes Irwin were gutsy enough to re-schedule two days later. More than
20 volunteers from the two all-girls schools upheld the GUTSE tradition and
continued their 17-year partnership to spend a sunnier afternoon planting trees
and cleaning brush in Fairmount Park in honor of Earth Day.
CHECKMATE
In the fall of 2008, Baldwin began an After School Enrichment Program for Lower
School and Middle School students. The offerings have included athletics, jewelry,
studio arts, ceramics and academic skill building. The teachers of the sessions
are members of the faculty and relished the opportunity to share their passion
with younger students. This spring, one of the more popular programs has been
“Understanding Chess.” With tremendous enthusiasm, the diverse group of eight
girls in Kindergarten through fifth grade, gather weekly in a classroom with John
O’Connor of Baldwin’s Mathematics Department, who is assisted by Carol Clouse,
database coordinator. O’Connor uses a chess website projected on the classroom
C Juniors Ali Evans and Nicole Cutuli plant a seedling in
a Fairmount Park meadow on GUTSE Day.
D Serving desserts at the 2009 Faculty and Staff
Appreciation Day were Barbara Omrod, Kimberley
Kleczka, Chair Carey Roseman, Sheree Bloch, Rita Auritt
and Hala Attia.
E Playing chess at one of Baldwin’s After School
Enrichment programs are Madeline Donatucci ’17 and
Maya Rebholz ’21.
F Father Daughter Dance Chair Dave Barnes and his
daughter, Lily ’17, dance the night away.
SmartBoard to encourage the girls to visualize the moves in a virtual game. The
excitement is palpable as the girls joyfully and competitively exchange ideas
about the best strategic move to achieve Checkmate.
DADS AND DAUGHTERS
More than 300 dads and their daughters rocked the night away at the annual
Lower School Father-Daughter Dance in the Residence February. Dancing to a
DJ, games, snacks and special photos with dad were highlights of the popular
evening event.
APPRECIATING FACULTY
The Parents’ Association officially expressed its appreciation of Baldwin’s faculty
and staff at the annual Faculty Staff Appreciation Day in March. Faculty were
treated to a delicious breakfast and lunch hosted by the parents on campus.
Parents also volunteered to “babysit” Lower School students during lunch so
their teachers could enjoy the special meal.
S P R I N G E C H O E S 2 0 0 9 1 1

A Trustee Mark Nicoletti and his wife, Megan Nicoletti, president of
the Parents’ Association, were among the 80 patrons who attended
a Community Gala preview party hosted in March by Terri and Alan
Candell.
B Clad in their pink referee outfits were Community Gala Committee
members, back row – Lisa Rapetti, Susan Kuebler, Joanne Phelan, Sejita
Page, Toby Zachian, Megan Nicoletti and Sherry Pearlstein; middle row
Anne Titterton, Director of Parent Programming Martha Agate and Julie
Horenstein; and front, Melanie Woon Avery.
C Co-Chairs of the Parents’ Association’s “BSPN Zone - Girls with Game”
Community Gala held on April 18 were Julie Horenstein and Susan
Kuebler. The event raised more than $200,000 for Baldwin.
12
A
B
D E F
Baldwin was in the ‘BSPN Zone’ at annual gala
Parents’ Association celebrates ‘Girls with Game‘ in new Athletic Center
A
C
Community Gala
D Athletic Association members Claire Henkel and Sarah June were
“Girls With Game” who helped out at the gala held in Baldwin’s new
Athletic Center.
E Committee members (center) Patti Dietrich and Lisa Rapetti and their
husbands, Steven Tyminski (left) and Brian Dietrich, were among the
more than 250 people who attended the annual fundraiser.
F Supporting a favorite team and dressing according to theme were
Baldwin dads, John Pearlstein and Richard Milgram.
C

Good Sports
WINTER ALL-STAR TEAMS
Basketball
All-InterAc Honorable Mention — Maggie Mae Shields ’09
All-Main Line Second Team
Maggie Mae Shields ’09 and Sloan Warren ’11
All-Main Line Honorable Mention — Stephanie Salvitti ’09
Swimming
All-Main Line Second Team
Sarah June ’10 and Noelle Niu ’10
All-Main Line Second Team
Akela Lacy’11 and Madison Noteware’12
Squash
All-InterAc First Team
Alexandra Sawin ’10 and Hilary Gray ’11
All-Main Line First Team
Alexandra Sawin ’10, Hilary Gray ’11 and Caroline Sawin ’11
All-Main Line Second Team
Alisha Maity’11 and Samantha Shein ’11
All-Main Line Honorable Mention
Marina Crowe ’12 and Alexa Tzarnas ’12
Volleyball
All-InterAc First Team — Olivia Stanton-Ameisen ’09
All-Main Line First Team — Olivia Stanton-Ameisen ’09
All-Main Line Second Team — Samantha Schwartz ’10
All-Main Line Honorable Mention — Kayla Kleczka ’12
Winter Track
All-Main Line Honorable Mention
Alia Murray ’09
ALUMNA IS ALL-IVY IN FENCING
Andrea Oliva ’08 has been named
to the All-Ivy League Second Team
in Women’s Foil. As a freshman
at Princeton University, this
year she won the silver medal
in the Intercollegiate Fencing
Championships, and received a
bid to the NCAA Regional qualifiers
where she earned a sixth place
medal and qualified as only one
of 25 women’s foilists from across
the country for the 2009 NCAA
Championships.
FENCING
VOLLEYBALL
BALDWIN MIDDLE SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL WINS LEAGUE TITLE.
The Middle School Volleyball Team once again captured the Middle School
Inter Ac League title, making it the eighth consecutive year they have reached
number one in the league. The squad also recorded its 98th win under Coach
Joan Merkins. Team members include: kneeling – Erica Wachs, Carolyn Wong
and Devon Cooper; back row – Coach Joan Merkins, Gabby Donatucci, Kathleen
Peng, Charlotte Morris and Daria Harlamova.
Missing form photo is Julia Fournier.
LACROSSE
SENIOR SIGNS WITH RAMS. Senior Stephanie Salvitti (right) has signed
a National Letter of Intent to play for the West Chester University Golden Rams
Women’s Lacrosse program beginning in the fall of 2009. Last year the Rams
were Division II national champions.
With her is Baldwin Varsity Lacrosse Coach
Kathleen Simone.
SqUASH
JUNIOR FINISHES IN TOP 12. Junior Alexandra Sawin has been awarded the
2009 Philadelphia Squash Racquet Association Sportsmanship Award. She also
finished in the top 12 of the U-19 age group in the Squash Individual National
Championships in Baltimore, MD in March. Sawin is a member of the Baldwin
varsity squash squad that placed seventh overall in Division A at the scholastic
team championships held at Yale University in February.
S P R I N G E C H O E S 2 0 0 9 1

Kinney Zalesne ’83 (center) hosted an
event at her home for Washington, D.C.
area alumnae in March. With her are
Eleanor Allen ’80 and Frank Powell,
husband of Head of School Sally Powell.
Jeffrey Appel, Baldwin’s new chief
development officer, chats with former
Head of School Anne Shoemaker at the
Washington, D.C. event.
1
More than 30 Washington, D.C. alumnae attended the March reception, including Sarena Snider ‘03,
Teddi Shihadeh ‘04, Lola Dineen ‘04, Rachel Collins ‘04 and Emily Unger ‘04.
A L U M N A E R E G I O N A L E V E N T S
Liesl Geiger Kincade’86 and Rachel
Gerstenhaber Stern ’83, chair of the
National Board of Advisors, were among
the more than 90 alumnae who attended
a reception at the Cosmopolitan Club in
New York City in January.
Attending the New York City alumnae gathering were
Martha Burke-Hennessy ’61 and Charlotte McCreary
Culver ’47.

Enjoying cocktails and conversation at the April 2 event were Katie King ‘01, Alexandra Kelley
‘01, Alexa Driansky ’02, Alexis Rossman ‘02 and Elizabeth Hanhausen ‘02.
Liesel Geiger Kincade
’86 was one of the
speakers at the April
2 reception. She also
signed copies of her
book, Essence of Home:
Timeless Elements of
Design.
Trustee Michelle
Karbiner Ball
’86, Chair of the
Board of Trustees
Kathryn Taylor
’70 and former
Board of Trustees
Chair Nancy Beth
Gordon Sheerr
’67 were among
the more than
100 alumnae at
the “Celebration
of Baldwin
Architecture”
event on April 2.
Co-Chairs of the “Celebration Baldwin
Architecture” event were Marlon Satchell ’94
and Mary Hoe Posner ’64. The evening included
an architectural tour of the Residence followed
by a reception and a presentation by experts on
architectural preservation and photography.
Kimberly Strauss ’86 (right) hosted an event for
Philadelphia alumnae and parents at the Union
League in September of 2008. With her is Head
of School Sally Powell.
S P R I N G E C H O E S 2 0 0 9 1 5

Do you know what is good
for Baldwin and good for
your business too?
The Pennsylvania Educational Improvement
Tax Credit or EITC is a vehicle that permits
business owners to divert up to 90 percent
of their tax dollars to provide scholarships for
deserving Baldwin students.
S U P P O R T I N G B A L D W I N
If you pay Corporate Net Income Tax, Franchise Tax, Bank and Trust Company
Shares Tax, Title Insurance Company Sales Tax, Insurance Premiums Tax, or
Mutual Thrift Institutions Tax, please consider participating in the Pennsylvania
EITC program. Tax credits are given for 75 percent* of your business’s
contribution to Baldwin’s scholarship program up to a maximum of $300,000
annually.
Applications for tax credits will be accepted through June 30, 2009. Please
contact Director of Annual Giving Amanda Parlett ’95 at 610-515-2700, ext. 240
or aparlett@baldwinschool.org for more information.
* A business that agrees to make the same contribution to the scholarship fund
for two consecutive tax years may receive a credit equal to 90 percent of its
contribution, up to $300,000 annually.

Coming soon in the
Summer issue of Echoes:
Commencement
and Reunion 2009!
PARENTS OF ALUMNAE:
If this issue of the
Echoes is mailed to
a daughter who no
longer maintains a
permanent address
at your home,
please notify Carol
Clouse at cclouse@
baldwinschool.org or
610-525-2700 ext. 320.
BALDWIN ECHOES
The Baldwin School
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Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
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