Centennial Celebration

Head of School honored during Centennial Celebration Weekend full of fun, action, reminiscing, learning, meeting, honoring, and more!

The long-awaited, much-anticipated Centennial Celebration finally arrived and it did not disappoint. In fact, it was every bit as wonderful as anyone could have imagined. Somewhere around 900 alumnae, students, faculty (current and former), family (past and present), and friends (through to the end!) came to campus for some part of the action-packed, fun-filled weekend.

Foxcroft women representing more than 70 graduating classes from nine decades led the way with the first official event, Friday's Alumnae Association Luncheon. On Saturday, attendees enjoyed the two most unique, most "Foxcroft" events — a demonstration of military drill and a fiercely-fought alumnae Fox/Hound Field Hockey game, complete with March In and SingSing.

Head of School Mary Louise Leipheimer, who is retiring on June 30 after 25 years at the helm and 47 years of service to the School, was honored with a special presentation by Foxcroft Board of Trustee President Reggie Groves '76 at Saturday's All Together Now! Dessert. Among Leipheimer's eight predecessors as Head, only Charlotte Haxall Noland, the School's beloved founder, served longer.

An exciting Centennial event opens Saturday, March 15, at the National Sporting Library and Museum in Middleburg. Called "Foxcroft School: The Art of Women and the Sporting Life," this special exhibition has been put together by the museum staff in conjunction with our Centennial Celebration. It focuses on Foxcroft women as sporting enthusiasts, sporting artists, and sporting art collectors. Comprised of loans from alumnae of the prestigious Middleburg college-preparatory school for girls and their relatives, approximately thirty paintings and sculptures develop a picture of the collecting interests of our alumnae and members of their families as well as their role in 20th Century sporting life and art.

The exhibit runs through August 24, 2014. Special tours for Centennial attendees will be conducted on Friday, April 25, at 1:30, 2:00 and 2:30 pm. The museum, located at 102 The Plains Road, is open Wednesday-Saturday 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday 1 pm to 5 pm. Please visit the NSL&M website for more information.

On November 26, 1914, only months after Foxcroft opened its doors to students, the first basketball game between the Foxes and the Hounds was played. Ever since that Thanksgiving Day, the tradition of two spirited groups — which, among them, include every single member of the school community — battling against each other with all their heart, and then reaffirming their bonds of friendship, has been a part of the School.

To generate enthusiasm for the upcoming Paul K. Bergan Poetry Festival, poets of all ages have recited works in Morning Meeting over the past two weeks. A special reading took place at today's Morning Meeting that honored the work of a woman known for so much at Foxcroft — Miss Charlotte. Two of her poems were read by seniors Miranda and Alicia, and English teach Alex Northrup gave context to the works by sharing their origin. Every Sunday during her headship, Miss Charlotte would deliver Sunday sermons. Many alumnae remember them vividly, commenting on what a great speaker Miss Charlotte was. Her words were inspirational as they encompassed a genuine knowledge of each girl and were tailored to them.

Continue reading for the two poems from her sermons chosen for Morning Meeting, and gain an authentic sense of who Miss Charlotte, Foxcroft's founder, was.

It's spreading ... 

The spirit of "giving back," which permeates the Foxcroft School community — and has since its founding in 1914 — is very contagious. As the September 29 Centennial Kickoff Day of Service draws near, more and more alumnae, students, family, and friends are making their plans to participate, either on campus, in the "Cherry Blossom Walk, Fun Run, and Pooch Prance for Breast Cancer," or at one of the growing number of locations across the country and around the world. It's fitting.

A visit by "Miss Charlotte" highlights the fun-filled official launch