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development & alumnae/i news
Students Say Thank You:
Donor Appreciation Luncheon
Student scholars expressed their appreciation to donors who
support financial aid, at the third annual Donor Appreciation
Luncheon in April. Head of School Gary Niels facilitated a
discussion with the donors and students, who spoke of the
academic rigor of the program, their college aspirations,
research projects, and full participation in the life of WT.
Henry Posner, Manoli
Epitropolulos ’14 and Anne Molloy.
Elena Falgione ’13 and
Jane Arensberg Thompson ’57.
Brian Schreiber, Noah Vito ’13,
and Lynn Schreiber.
Gary Niels and Jean Davis ’32.
Sherm McLaughlin and
Gwen Chenoweth Swaney ’47.
Michael Booker ’12 and
Lynda Stern Coslov ’64.
From 1973 to 1990, Lower School librarian Gloria Checkley was
a bookworm’s best friend. “I always tried to make coming to the
library a pleasure,” says Checkley, renowned for her storytelling.
Her secret “You do it through voice and emphasis, and you
choose stories that you like yourself.” A favorite: Ursula Nordstrom’s
The Secret Language, which she used to introduce third
graders to novels. “It starts out, ‘Sooner or later, everyone has to
go away from home for the first time…it happened to Victoria
North when she was eight.’ It’s a good beginning, isn’t it”
Checkley imbued countless students with a love of literature,
both at City Campus and at North, where she created the first
library. Her proudest accomplishment was receiving the Jane L.
Catching up with Former Faculty
Introducing a Generation to the Power
of Storytelling: Gloria Checkley
Scarborough Award for Excellence in Teaching, because it came
from the faculty.
Not long ago, Checkley toured WT’s City Campus, and dropped in
to visit Houston Library, which she describes as “very inviting and
engaging. Mrs. Kraar was conducting story hour when I came by;
she stopped to introduce me, and that was fun.”
Now in her 80s, Checkley still loves storytelling to her grandchildren
and, with one granddaughter about to marry, looks forward
to perhaps reading to a great-grandchild some day. “I do know
how to read a book out loud!” she chuckles, continuing, “It gives
you a feeling that you really did do something good in life.”
36 T h i s t l e t a l k S u m m e r / F a l l 2 0 1 1