Headmaster's Notes
Dr. Vincent M. Stumpo, Headmaster

Dear Linden Hall Community,

May 2007 marks the end of one of the most productive years in my professional memory. You should be extremely proud of the students, staff, faculty, administration, and Board of Linden Hall who have all invested time, talent, and energy to make Linden Hall a vibrant example of independent schooling in the 21st century.

As a college-preparatory school, Linden Hall is working diligently to offer a rigorous academic curriculum. Going forward, we plan to welcome to our school young women from average to excellent ability and offer them each a course of study which we believe best prepares them for college and for life. To accomplish this superior academic preparation, it will be necessary to continue to upgrade our academic program, a process that is well underway, and one that is enthusiastically embraced by the faculty. With the implementation of the electronic whiteboards (SmartBoards) and the state-of-the-art technology purchased for our science program, the technology curriculum is already well improved. Next year, we will introduce a new science curriculum throughout grades 6-12, we will launch improvements in the math curriculum, and we will more fully implement both the 4C’s Program and the Advanced Scholar’s Program. We also plan to bolster our Advanced Placement program with the introduction of as many as three new college-level courses (AP Environmental Science, AP Photography, and AP Art History). Led by Sue Kirkland in College Counseling, we will launch a multiphased testing program that will span grades 7-12 and provide objective and timely feedback from ACT and the College Board as to student strengths and weaknesses and their preparedness for college. With such essential data, a student remediation program will also be initiated next year, led by Judy Conlin in Academic Services, to strengthen student skill-levels. In order to help our students achieve to their individual potentials, we have also increased the number of school days next year from 161 to 169 (the local public schools average 180-185), and we will also introduce a reformulated daily schedule, one that will increase and make more efficient use of valuable classroom time.

Another goal is to strengthen our school’s athletic program. This year we have taken significant steps in that direction as 4 of our 5 varsity teams had winning records, highlighted by the Equestrian Team being crowned Zone II IEA Champions, earning them the right to compete for the National Championship held in Ohio. In addition, at a ceremony conducted at our recent Alumnae/Parents weekend, Athletic Director Linda Mummert unveiled our Wall of Honor which consists of professionally done photographs of each of our Varsity Teams and the establishment of a Captain’s Plaque for each sport, upon which will be engraved, each year, the name(s) of that team’s captain(s). The athletic program is on its way to creating a tradition of excellence. My congratulations go out to our athletes and coaches, and to Linda Mummert for her leadership.

As with Athletics, we intend to offer a program of excellence in the Arts. The fact that our Arts Program is a current area of strength was well on display at Alumnae/Parents weekend. The community was treated to an outstanding production of Cinderella, and moving performances by our Chorus and Bell Choir. My congratulations are offered to all of our talented artists and to the leadership of Dennis Foreman, Lynn Millard, and Donna Olah.

On the Admission front, many of you know that we have a new Admission team of Kate Rill and Amy Weaver. Kate and Amy have done a tremendous job in helping produce all the necessary literature and marketing tools needed to run a first-class program. With the completion of our marketing video to add to our newly renovated website, the tools are now in place, and Kate and Amy will have them at their disposal for the 2008-09 Admission cycle. Despite being without these tools this year, new applicants to Linden Hall are up 70% from this date one year ago. While that data point is certainly encouraging, it would not be accurate to believe that all new applicants are choosing to enroll with us at this time. The independent school market is highly competitive, and while many more families are seriously considering us than in the past, and some are selecting us now, other applicants have decided to ultimately enroll elsewhere. There is little doubt that to be more attractive to many independent school families and more competitive in the Admission game, Linden Hall will have to continue to strengthen its academic program and to address many of the deficiencies that exist with our physical plant. As with any provider of a service, we must prove our value to consumers, or they will go elsewhere.

Financially, the school is well on its way to a balanced budget for this year. Likewise, I have submitted and the Board has passed a balanced budget for 2007-08. To achieve that relatively rare accomplishment of consecutive balanced budgets, it was necessary to reduce and reconfigure the administration, faculty, and staff, as we were well overstaffed for a school of our size.

This year, the school has also commissioned an architect to produce a thorough Master Site Plan. Based on his preliminary report, we have raised the money to complete certain targeted projects including upgrading Honeycutt Lounge and the Horne dorm lounges, painting the Steinman Arts Building, and improving campus landscaping. We hope these will be accomplished by September. Obviously, such projects are only the beginning. We will need the financial support of all members of the Linden Hall community if we are to properly address the many maintenance issues that have been deferred for such a long time. I certainly hope that you will give generously to our Historic Restoration Program, as addressing these maintenance issues is one of two key strategies to attracting more students to Linden Hall.

As I mentioned in my introduction, this has been a year of great progress at Linden Hall, a year that should inspire tremendous pride. However, there is much more to do to fulfill our goal of offering one of the nation’s finest college-preparatory experiences. I appreciate your support and assistance as we go boldly forward.

Advancement Announcements
June Stine, Director of Advancement
Did You Know... You Can Now Contribute A Gift Directly from Your IRA to Linden Hall

IRA's have always been great vehicles for deferring income taxation. However, until recently, it was usually not advantageous to withdraw funds from an IRA in order to make a charitable contribution since the funds withdrawn were taxable and the charitable contribution may or may not have been deductible.

The Pension Act of 2006, signed by President Bush on August 17, 2006, created the "qualified charitable distribution" from IRA's. If the requirements listed below are met, there is no income tax consequence to an IRA owner for charitable distributions from the IRA, i.e. the funds distributed from the IRA that would normally be taxable are tax free. However, no tax deduction is allowed for the charitable gift since a deduction would result in a double tax benefit on the same funds.

The requirements for a "qualified charitable distribution" are as follows:

1. The distribution must be made in 2006 or 2007
2. The distribution must be equal to or less than $100,000
3. The IRA owner must be 70 1/2 at the time of the distribution
4. The distribution must be directly to a public charity (not a donor advised fund, supporting organization, or certain private foundations)
5. The charitable contribution must be one that would be 100% deductible if made from non-IRA assets (so split interest gifts, such as a charitable gift annuity or a charitable remainder trust, will not work)
6. The transfer must be from a traditional IRA or Roth IRA (not any other type of retirement. No SEPs or SIMPLEs)

Upper School Update
Shaaron Lavery, Assistant Head
Four new members were inducted this month into the Linden Hall Chapter of the National Honor Society. They are Pascale Naske ('07), Crystal Manafi ('07), Chiamaka Ilonzo ('07), and Bee Ah Kang ('09).  Sophomore Diana Lavery will be representing Linden Hall at the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Conference at Millersville University this month, and Abby Milnor-Sweetser ('08) will be representing Linden Hall at the Rotary Leadership Conference at Messiah College in June.  We are very proud of all of these girls!

Middle School Messages
Sally Watkins, Middle School Dean
Our middle schoolers are busily getting ready for the end of the school year. We have begun practices for our MS Graduation Ceremony on May 25 at 9:30 AM in the Mary Dixon Chapel. The eighth grade students have each selected a quotation that they will recite, an idea that has inspired them or made them think. This ceremony marks the promotion of the eighth graders to upper school and of the sixth and seventh graders to the next level. Dressed in white down to their shoes, the girls will process into the chapel and take part in the program planned especially for them. Following that ceremony will be refreshments and picture-taking in Carr Arts.

On Tuesday, May 22, all middle schoolers and their teacher chaperones will travel by bus to Safe Harbor Park for our annual middle school picnic. We will leave school at 9:30 AM and return by 3:00 PM. We have planned for a beautiful day so that we can enjoy picnic food, take short hikes in the vicinity, and even sit by the river at Safe Harbor Dam—of course, no swimming! Everyone is sure to enjoy a break from the schedule of tests and practices.

Some of our MS students will be taking final exams on May 21, 22, and 23; we wish them the best as they prepare for these important tests.

An assembly program honoring those students who have achieved outstanding participation in clubs or activities or have excelled in showing respect, responsibility, cooperation, and leadership will take place on Friday, May 18. On May 24 outstanding students will be recognized for their achievements in academics.

As you can see, the end of the year brings celebration and recognition. The girls will also have to face cleaning their lockers and the day room and their dorm rooms, turning in books and assignments, more practices “to make perfect,” and most important of all, saying goodbye to their friends and teachers. It has been a wonderful year at Linden Hall!

Here is some academic news:

In 7th grade English class, students are reading The Giver and are finding Lois Lowry’s ideas to be thought-provoking. They are also working on subject/verb agreement and pronoun/antecedent agreement as the last grammar unit. In the eighth grade English class, the girls are busy reading Farewell to Manzanar, the true story of a girl’s years in a Japanese internment camp during World War II.

In pre-algebra students have finished the study of linear functions and are now turning their attention to data analysis and probability. The girls are excited about stem-and-leaf plots, histograms, and box-and-whisker plots. Students will learn about permutations and combinations as well as probabilities of disjoint and overlapping events.

Mrs. Olah's class has just finished the first part of a  beginning ceramics  unit.  The students learned how to use the slab roller and cut a pattern from a slab. They then learned how to connect pieces of clay by  scoring and applying slip. When these projects are bisque-fired, they will learn how to use glaze.

Academic Spotlight: Science
Carl Cummings, Science Department Chairperson
The Science Department has been integrating technology in the classroom using hand-held science probeware. These devices or data loggers allow the students to efficiently gather and interpret information with a variety of attachable sensors. Jen Cairns and the physics students have successfully completed a kinematics unit where they were able to find the velocity, acceleration, and forces of moving objects using some of the available equipment. In chemistry, the Pasco GLX and Ideal Gas Law sensors will be used to determine pressure, volume, and temperature relationships. The new science equipment has been used in the middle and high school earth science classes studying weather. The weather sensors enabled the students to quickly obtain the temperature, barometric pressure, specific and relative humidity, and dew point from a variety of locations. Next year this equipment will play an even larger role in the science curriculum.

Easel, Film, and Clay
Nora Workman, Art Department Chairperson

Art

After Arts Night, a huge success, the Lyet Gallery has been enhanced with new displays from students' most recent art creations. Now on exhibit are paintings completed in the studio as well as work completed on a painting field trip to the Susquehanna, ceramics, and a new assortment of photographs. The tiled tables donated to the auction by the ceramics class were once again well received this year, and students are already forming ideas for next year's donation to the auction. The students feel a real sense of pride and accomplishment when their work is seen and appreciated.

Natasha King has originated a very special program at Linden Hall this year, "The Memory Book Project." She attracted a dedicated group of students, held regular meetings, and organized the group as a whole. The Memory Book Project is a national project designed to bring student-made books to children in selected parts of the world. Our students chose to create books for children ages 5 to 17 in Uganda. The students worked individually and in pairs on writing and illustrating the books. The selections being sent include

• Inspirational People by Sarah Oullett-Albano and Natasha King,
• A Tour Book visiting different countries and cities through pictures by Cerah Kolarcik, and
• Kaikara Masaka, a fictional story about a young boy and his life journey by Fawziyya Muhammad and Chichi Ilonzo.

Between the Lines
Linda Mummert, Athletic Director

"We dedicate our wall in honor and memory of all of those that have gone before us. For without their courage and perseverance, we would not have had these opportunities.

"We dedicate our wall in honor and recognition of all of our current student athletes and all who will follow--as they find their voices, as they dare to dream and as they begin their path to greatness. Let there never be a doubt about the importance of their mission. Let there never be a doubt about our unwavering support."

Linden Hall's Wall of Honor was dedicated at the Sports Awards Breakfast on Sunday morning, May 6, and is located in the lobby of the Anne Brossman Sweigart Sports & Fitness Center. Five Captain's Plaques along with a picture that includes all five varsity sports make up the wall and will be updated annually.

One hundred sixty-three awards were presented to student athletes during the presentations. Linden Hall teams have competed in over one hundred contests during the school year, and we were represented in a most positive and most competitive manner.

The year could be summarized: the bar was raised, and the challenges issued. The challenges were met. The performances exceeded expectations.

I would like to congratulate all of the coaches and athletes on a very solid year. Thank you!

Team Records: Middle School Soccer | Upper School Soccer | Warwick Softball | Warwick Track & Field

Up-to-date schedules for both games and practices can be found on the Linden Hall Sports Calendar.

In the Dorms
Dennis Foreman, Upper School Dorm Director
Busy doesn't begin to describe life in the dorms.  Between classes, sports, theater, music, and finalizing reports, our dormers barely have time to pack!  It seems we just arrived, and now we're in the process of planning our departures and anticipating summer vacations.  End-of-the-year packets are being distributed to our students to help them organize, pack, and store their belongings in a timely fashion.  With the arrival of great weather, it is not unusual to see small groups of students and dorm parents heading towards the new Starbucks.

Several students have applied to live in the ILD (Independent Living Dorm) next term.  Students selected to this dorm must show good character and be recognized by staff and their peers as campus leaders.

Student Council Corner
Evan McGrath Ed.D., Student Council Advisor
On Friday, April 27, Student Council took 18 students to a baseball game in Philadelphia. We braved heavy traffic, high winds, and a long walk to enjoy the game. We shared a section in right field with the Phelps School. The game was exciting and ended on a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the ninth inning. The long ride back was filled with interesting conversations and multiple convenience store stops.

The year is rapidly coming to an end. The last order of business for Student Council will be the election of new officers. The vote will take place on Thursday, May 17. Good luck to all the fine candidates.

Student's Soapbox
Tianna Steel, Class of 2007
Senior Tianna Steel delivered this Chapel Speech for her classmates in early May.

Writing your chapel speech usually isn't the easiest thing to do in your high school career here. It requires time, dedication, the insight of others, and mostly the brain- wracking question you always ask yourself, "What can I say that is inspirational?" I can understand how it would be a very difficult decision to make and on top of that to write an entire speech about. As for me I have been thinking about my speech for a very long time. To be exact, I have been thinking about mine since the very first senior speech I heard my first year at Linden Hall as a freshman.

I thought that it was great that each senior was able to get up in chapel and tell the whole school about something she believed in and cared about. Each senior speech for four years I tired to listen to very carefully so I could pull the ideas that I liked for mine or some of the things that I might want to leave out. After hearing a few speeches, I figured out what I wanted to talk about. I chose what I thought was the most important thing to say and what I thought everyone else should hear. And what was this brilliant idea you all ask? Appreciating life.

Now I'm sure everyone here has heard of the expression that time flies. I don't know if everyone agrees with it, but in my life I have found that very expression to be completely true. Sometimes I wish that I could stop time so I could hold on to whatever that moment was that I had been enjoying, but as we all know, that's not possible. It seems like it was yesterday that I was a new student here almost four years ago. A shy and scared freshman, I relied on my outgoing roommate Sandie to help me fit in and make friends. I was excited and scared at the same time to be going through this entirely new experience. I had no idea what I would be facing for the next four years of my life. I quickly made many friends and ended up having the best hang-out room for what seemed to be the entire freshman class that year. I grew a lot dealing with being away from my family for a long time and having to live on my own.

The next year it seemed as if the roles had been reversed between my roommate and me from the previous year. I was a more experienced Linden Hall girl, and my roommate that year was a new freshman Chelsea Kiser. Seeing my own fears mirrored in Chelsea, I tried as much as possible to open her eyes to this wonderful experience of boarding school. Soon she was able to let loose and become the sweet and outgoing person she is today. My junior year I was faced with another difficult task. I was living in the ILD, a place where I had said my first year that I would never live. After getting over the fact that hopefully my room was the one with no ghosts, I was able to successfully live by myself and still have all the great memories I share with my friends. Soon my days were filled with college research and SAT studying. I realized that the sun was soon setting on my time here.

My freshman year, graduation was only a word and sometimes thought of as something that I would go through, but not for a very long time. I had plenty of time, right? Wrong. Here I am now, and graduation is merely a count down of days for me, and I'm pretty sure the rest of the senior class. I can't believe how fast my years here went by. I'm excited to graduate, but when I think back to all my amazing memories here and also a few bad ones, I realize that I have learned from all of them. They make me appreciate everything I went through in order to get where I am today. Your experiences in life are what can make you stronger and also more appreciative.

High school was one of the main things in my life that has taught me to try to hold on to the time you have as much as possible. Another thing that made me realize this was a poem that will stay with me forever and I always refer to for inspiration. I came across this poem almost six years ago when one of my mother's best friends passed away from cancer. She was the same age as my mother and not nearly ready to end her life This poem was on a bookmark given out to everyone who attended the funeral. It had a picture of my mother's friend and a memoir on the back. I would like to leave you with these words now. It is titled "Count Your Blessings":

Count your garden by the flowers, never by the leaves that fall.
Count your days by sunshine hours; do not remember the clouds at all.
Count your nights by stars, not shadows.
Count you life by smiles, not tears,
And with joy on every birthday,
Count your age by friends, not years.

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IN THIS ISSUE:

Headmaster's Notes
Accomplishments this year and continuing plans for the academics, athletics, arts, and physical plant for next year.

Advancement Announcements
Qualified charitable distributions from IRAs are penalty free. Learn if you qualify.

Upper School Update
Four students inducted into the National Honor Society, and two students attending leadership conferences.

Middle School Messages
Students practice for the Eighth Grade graduation ceremony, make plans for the middle school picnic, and receive recognition for participation in programs.

Academic Spotlight
The Science Department uses PASCO equipment in a wide variety of labs.

Easel, Film, and Clay
Student artwork is on display in Lyet Gallery as Cinderella is performed in the Snavely Family Theater. The Linden Hall Chorus competes in an adjudication at Hershey Park.

Between the Lines
Dedication of the Wall of Honor and student athlete awards presented.

In the Dorms
Spring means more outside activities and plans for summer being made!

Student Council Corner
Student Council organizes a joint trip to a Phillies game with Phelps. Campaigns are launched by those running for officer positions on next year's Student Council.

Student's Soapbox
Tianna Steel, Class of 2007

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Wednesday, May 16
Senior Tea

Friday, May 18
Activity Awards Program

Monday, May 21
to Wednesday, May 24
Final Exams

Thursday, May 24
Awards Assembly, Senior Dinner, Baccalaureate

Friday, May 25
Graduation