An integral element of our crest and seal, the Tudor Rose celebrates Westover's vitality and complements the Lantern, which remains the constant heart of the School, emanating its rays of light and knowledge and inspiring all students, faculty and alumnae to keep our lights shining brightly.

For the past decade noted author and alumna Laurie Lisle ’61 has been busy gathering research on and writing the history of Westover’s first 100 years. The book, Westover: Giving Girls A Place of Their Own, will be published in January 2009 by Wesleyan University Press. Laurie is the author of two biographies, Portrait of an Artist: A Biography of Georgia O’Keeffe and Louise Nevelson: A Passionate Life, along with several other books.  Charlotte Strick ’91, an Art Director at Farrar, Straus & Giroux, designed the book’s jacket and interior details. The book will include 50 archival photographs, which were scanned and enhanced by Abby Pope ’93, a freelance photographer based in New York City.

For Westover, this is a moment between two centuries when we reflect upon our past and contemplate our future. Over the past 100 years, Westover women have been inspired to think, to do, and to be their best. Westover’s future is bright.

Our Centennial Theme
The theme for Westover’s Centennial — Inspiring Women of Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow — celebrates both the significant role that the School has played in the lives of thousands of women during its first century and its commitment to inspire future generations of women.

We’re Planning a Year-Long Party!
To mark Westover’s 100th  birthday, the Centennial Committee is promising many spectacular, fun-filled celebrations ... and you’re invited! Highlights include:
        
• Two weekend-long celebrations at Westover in April 2009 and April 2010;
• Regional gatherings in cities across the United States, Europe, and Asia;
• A series of special speakers throughout the year at Westover;
• Exhibits highlighting alumnae artists in the Schumacher Gallery;
• Student projects and archival exhibits which honor our history;
• Student and alumnae music, dance, and theater performances all year.

Join us for two Reunion Celebrations like no others
Join your alumnae friends for this twice-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate Westover’s 100th year. We are expecting unprecedented turnouts and cannot imagine celebrating without you! Mark your calendars and watch for more details in upcoming publications, mailings, and on the School’s website. Celebration highlights include:

Founders Weekend April 24-26, 2009
To kick off our year-long celebration, we will mark the opening of Westover and the arrival of the School’s founder and first headmistress, Mary Hillard, along with the pioneering students from the Class of 1909. During this three-day celebration, we will explore our rich past, honor our teachers’ contributions, and highlight the achievements of today’s students. Alumnae whose class years end in 4s and 9s will celebrate extra special Reunions. You are welcome to join in!

Centennial Weekend April 23-25, 2010
Don’t miss our grand finale! This very special weekend will provide the opportunity for the entire community to celebrate Westover’s Centennial along with reunion alumnae whose class years end in 5s and 0s. Highlights include a gala dinner/dance, keynote speakers, special performances, and more. This weekend is not to be missed!

What is your most inspirational memory of Westover? The Centennial Committee invites you to share the ways Westover inspires you! Whether you are on campus for your Reunion or at a regional gathering, look for the Inspiration Board and Book to share your thoughts. We will collect your comments throughout the Centennial Year and will publicize them as a reminder to us all. Here are a few of the reasons alumnae have already offered:

“... by giving me a community of such warm, talented, and inspirational women — then and now” — a member of the Class of 1983

“... with the intangibles of honor, beauty, loyalty and self-discipline” — a member of the Class of 1942

“... by giving me my voice!” – a member of the Class of 1957

“ ... through its rich history, traditions, and its ability to create strong-minded, independent, and caring women” – a member of the Class of 2001

“... by instilling a love of learning and athletics and by giving me joy of lifelong friends” — a member of the Class of 1956

The needle arts have always been a part of Westover’s heritage. In the photo at left (from left): Westover's founder and first headmistress, Mary R. Hillard, with her two colleagues, Helen Dean LaMonte and Lucy Bailey Pratt. In the photo at right (from left): EJ van Luling '09, Diamond Howell ’08, and Maddee Jacques ’10, three of the students in Jan Gilley’s Needle Arts Class.

Students in Westover’s Needle Arts Class will be working with their instructor, Jan Gilley, on creating a Centennial Quilt for the School. Squares can be submitted by Westover alumnae, present and former teachers and staff, parents and grandparents, and other friends of the School.

Themes for quilt squares can include any Westover symbol; Westover traditions and events; a Westover class, club, team, corridor, or department; architectural elements of the School; words in honor of a classmate or faculty member. The squares should be 6-1/4 inches square and made of cotton material. The connecting pieces will be Westover periwinkle blue. The squares may be appliqued, reverse appliqued, cross-stitched, pieced, or a combination.

Anyone wishing to be a part of the Centennial Quilting Circle should first send a rough sketch to Jan Gilley (to avoid having too many of one particular Westover symbol) at PO Box 847, Middlebury, CT 06762-0847. Please submit all sketches to Jan Gilley by July 30, 2008. If you have questions, please call Jan at 203-577-4511 or e-mail her at jgilley@westoverschool.org.

• Update Your E-Mail Address
Are you receiving news updates from Westover’s Alumnae Office via e-mail? If not, that means we do not have your current e-mail address. If you would like to receive news and Centennial updates and other Westover news, please send your preferred e-mail address to Megan Mann ’02 in the Alumnae Office at mmann@westoverschool.org.

• Check Westover’s Website for News
For Centennial news, log onto Westover’s Website at www.westoverschool.org. This summer you can expect to log on to a newly designed Westover website, with easy access to Centennial news.

• Become a Centennial Volunteer
We welcome volunteers to help host Centennial events and coordinate projects. For more information, please call Centennial Coordinator Nancy Aordkian-Pelaez ’86 at 203-577-4593 or e-mail her at npelaez@westoverschool.org.

• Alumnae Dancers: Take the Stage!
If you were a member of the Dance Ensemble and are interested in being part of a special dance performance during the Centennial year, please call Dance Director Patti Buchanan at 203-577-4560 or e-mail her at pbuchanan@westoverschool.org. 

• Your Most Inspirational Teachers
During Founders Weekend, we will honor Westover’s inspirational teachers, past and present. To nominate the teachers who inspired you, call Emily Webber Brown ’84 at 978-526-8955 or e-mail her at emilywpb@gmailcom.

• ‘Westover Centennial’ on Facebook
If you are an alumna or friend of the School, you can join the Westover Centennial Group on the social network website Facebook. It’s one more way you can be kept up-to-date on upcoming Centennial plans. To become a member of the group, e-mail Megan Mann ’02 in the Alumnae Office at mmann@westoverschool.org.

• Donate Items to Westover’s Archives
Westover’s Archives always welcome donations of School memorabilia to its collection. If you have photos, home movies, letters or photographs (both prints and digital images), videotapes and home movies of Westover events, letters to and from students, and albums, they are especially welcome. However, because of the limited storage space available in the Archives, alumnae and other friends of the School who have items they would like to donate are asked to please contact Westover’s Archivists Maria Randall Allen ’42 or Muffie Clement Green ’65, through the Alumnae Office at 203-577-4542, or e-mail Muffie at mgreen@westoverschool.org, before sending any items to the Archives.

The Centennial Committee includes (from left): seated – Co-Chair Rosa Gatling Williams ’77, Centennial Coordinator Nancy Aordkian-Pelaez ’86, Co-Chair Marcy Tench Crimmins ’56, Megan Mann ’02; standing – Archivist Muffie Clement Green ’65, History Instructor Lisa Marie Buoncuore, Eunice Strong Groark ’56, Christine Muldowney Dahl ’82, Weezie Webber Fallon ’82, Claire Richards ’82, Amma Osei ’01, Alison Chase Moore ’82, former Athletic Director Anneke Rothman, Alumnae Association President Su McCarthy DeSimone ’80, Makenzi Hurtado ’02, Aly Love Simons ’97, Sonya Kim ’94, Martha Allen Ross ’57, Marion Thompson Murfey ’68.

When a group of talented, dedicated volunteers assembled at Westover’s Hillard House this fall, Centennial planning entered an important new phase.

Marcy Tench Crimmins ’56 and Rosa Gatling Williams ’77, co-chairs of the Steering Committee, have recruited a wonderful group of alumnae and other friends of the School from various decades and backgrounds either to serve with them on the Steering Committee or to head Centennial subcommittees.

In addition to Marcy and Rosa, the Steering Committee’s members include Marion Thompson Murfey ’68, Claire Richards ’82, Alison Chase Moore ’82, Lane Summers Moorman ’93, and Megan Mann ’02 (who is also the Alumnae Office Gifts Coordinator), as well as former Athletic Director and French Instructor Anneke Rothman, and History Instructor Lisa Marie Buoncuore. Specific subcommittee chairs also have been named, and these chairs will be responsible for their committees’ roles in Centennial celebrations.

The Events Committee will focus on planning both large and small Centennial events held on campus and at other locations around the country during the 2009-2010 academic year. Martha Allen Ross ’57 will chair the Events Committee, bringing her experience from chairing the Centennial celebration at Middlesex School.

The Programs Committee will organize a special Alumnae Art Exhibit Series, an Alumnae Performance Series, and special student programs. Co-Chairs Sonya Kim ’94 and Amma Osei ’01 are looking forward to working with faculty to pull these programs together.

Among other tasks, the Projects Committee will create a Student Centennial Committee to ensure that students will feel they are as much a part of the Centennial as our alumnae and other friends of the School. Makenzi Hurtado ’02 will chair the committee. Archivists Maria Randall Allen ’42 and Muffie Clement Green ’65 will work closely with the committee. Several archival projects have been suggested, and with the help of Eunice Groark ’56, we can expect to see some wonderful results of all their research and organizing of Westover’s Archives.

The Merchandise Committee is already researching possible commemorative Centennial items that will be available starting in 2009. Kitsy Baird Smith ’58 and Weezie Webber Fallon ’82 are the committee’s very capable co-chairs. As past Alumnae Association governors, Kitsy and Weezie have brought us popular items in the Governors’ Gift Shop, and we can’t wait to see what they come up with for the Centennial.

A memorable Centennial Speakers Series is also planned, and Chair Aly Love Simons ’97, with the help of members Beth Gilbert ’77 and Tami Bettcher Walker ’76, will take our preliminary “wish list” of speakers and make it a reality.

Our Communications Committee will ensure that the entire Westover community is informed of our Centennial plans through Westover’s regular publications as well as a special Centennial publication. The committee will be co-chaired by Claire Richards ’82 and Christine Muldowney Dahl ’82.

The Centennial Committee’s immediate task is to recruit additional volunteers to help with the planning of the Centennial. This is a wonderful way to get reaquainted with Westover and to bring your wonderful ideas to our planning for this important celebration. Any interested alumnae, parents of students or alumnae, or Westover friends are welcome to join the Centennial Committee. E-mail Centennial Coordinator Nancy Aordkian Pelaez at npelaez@westoverschool.org or call her at (203) 577-4530. She will put you in touch with the chair of the committee that interests you. Our co-chairs are standing by!

Several members of the still-forming Centennial Steering Committee gathered for a discussion during the May 2007 Alumnae Weekend at Westover. They were (from left) Amma  Osei ’01, Committee Co-Chair Marcy Tench Crimmins ’56, Kitsy Baird Smith ’58, Centennial Coordinator Nancy Aordkian-Pelaez ’86, Committee Co-Chair Rosa Gatling Williams ’77, and Megan Mann ’02.

Two long-time volunteers for Westover – Marcy Tench Crimmins ’56 and Rosa Gatling Williams ’77 – have agreed to serve as the co-chairs of the Westover Centennial Steering Committee.

Centennial Coordinator Nancy Aordkian-Pelaez ’86 will be working closely with Marcy and Rosa as preparations for Westover’s 100th birthday in 2009-2010 continue to take shape. “Marcy and Rosa will be an energetic team to lead the Steering Committee through the Centennial planning,” Nancy said, “and I thank them for stepping up to serve in this important volunteer role. This team reflects our desire for the Steering Committee leadership to represent different decades and backgrounds, to bring different perspectives to our planning. They will ensure that the full Steering Committee reflects all segments of the Westover community, and that we capitalize on our diverse alumnae community.”

A resident of Princeton, NJ, Marcy received the Westover Award in 2006 for her leadership in creating and coordinating affordable housing there. She has served as a Class Agent, a Reunion Chair, and as a Reunion Gift Chair. An Over, she is the daughter of the late Fredrika Steif Tench ’24, the sister of Diana Tench Stovall ’52, and the mother of Samantha Crimmins Smith ’83.

A resident of Newark, NJ, Rosa is stepping down in May from the Alumnae Association Board of Governors after seven years; she brings to her new role several years’ experience as chair of the Governors’ Reunion Committee. An Over, she also served as a long-time Class Secretary and is a past Reunion Chair, a past Reunion Gift Chair, and an Admission Volunteer. A neurosurgical physicians assistant, Rosa is the mother of Brittney Williams ’06 and the aunt of incoming student Christine Clayton ’11.

“Being asked to co-chair the Centennial Committee is an honor and a big commitment,” Marcy noted. “I believe Westover has much to celebrate, much to be proud of, and therefore much to share with others. I hope to be able to brainstorm with the committee to help create a celebration that contributes something substantial to the thinking about education and especially education for young women.” Rosa noted, “Both the Westover community and the wider world needs to see that Westover is a very diverse community that continues to prepare its students for tomorrow’s world. The Centennial is a wonderful opportunity for us to put the spotlight on Westover, to show the world that we have been an evolving school over the past 100 years, and that we are continuing to evolve as we go forward into our next century. We will be celebrating our rich history – all of our great alumnae and the wonderful successes, both as individual alumnae and as a school community.”

“I’m eager to see how the full committee takes form in the coming months,” Nancy noted. “Marcy and Rosa are already in the process of recruiting volunteers. Several alumnae who have expressed interest in volunteering will be hearing from our co-chairs soon.” If you are interested in serving on the Centennial Steering Committee, please contact Nancy (203-577-4530 or npelaez@westoverschool.org), Marcy (609-921-2196 or mtcrimmins@comcast.net), or Rosa (973-342-4777 or omooshun@optonline.net).

The Centennial Steering Committee will be seeking volunteers to help coordinate plans for the Centennial Celebrations for 2009-2010. Click on the link below to find out more about how you might volunteer.

Click on the link below to read more about Nancy.

Westover School’s Centennial to be Celebrated in 2009-2010

We are starting to plan a year full of festivities to celebrate the School’s Centennial that will span two alumnae weekends and include a speaker series, commemorative celebrations of annual traditions here on campus, faculty and student tours across the country, and alumnae gatherings and receptions on campus and around the country.

The official start of our Centennial is tentatively scheduled to be held at the School on Founder's Day, April 27th 2009, 100 years to the day that all the boarders from St. Margaret's School in Waterbury, CT first moved into Westover for the spring term. Centennial celebrations will be held throughout 2009 and will culminate in a big birthday bash during Alumnae Weekend 2010.

We have chosen the Tudor Rose as the official Centennial logo. An integral element of our crest and seal, the Tudor Rose celebrates Westover's vitality and complements the Lantern, which remains the constant heart of the School, emanating its rays of light and knowledge and inspiring all students, faculty and alumnae to keep our lights shining brightly.

Stay tuned for more information regarding the Centennial and ways in which we will need your help in planning and volunteering for the year-long celebration.