Steel & WINTER Garnet 2021 STEEL & GARNET WINTER 2021 Letter from our President 02 FEATURED ARTICLE In the midst of a school year unlike any Unleashing Courage: other, I have found strength in the smiles Celebrating of our students, the resilience of our Girard’s Heroes staff, and the generosity of our friends. 06 PROGRAM UPDATE The Girard College community is full A Team Approach to Student of everyday heroes whose dedication to Achievement our mission leaves no doubt that we will emerge from this unusual chapter in our 08 THE CAMPUS FOR THE CITY ABOVE Bernard W. Smalley, Esq. Named Board President: The Board of Directors of City Trusts, the agency charged with history stronger than ever. In this issue Latest overseeing charitable trusts bequeathed to the City of Philadelphia, including Girard College, recently announced the unanimous election of prominent city attorney Bernard W. Smalley as its President – the first African-American Partnerships ever to lead the Board in its 151-year history. of Steel & Garnet, you will see just a few and Grants Dr. Heather Wathington, President of Girard College, said, “Bernie is both a great leader and a great role model for our children, and his election is an inspiration for Girard College and its students.” examples of how our staff has unleashed 10 Part of Stephen Girard’s legacy includes We are lucky to have the esteemed Bernard courage in the face of the coronavirus AT OUR CORE how he acted in times of crisis, specifically W. Smalley, Esq. ready to stand up and take Sculptor his coordination of Philadelphia’s response leadership of the Board as its new President. pandemic, as well as plenty of good news to the Yellow Fever outbreak of 1793. His Bernie shares Ron’s passion for Girard’s Eugene Daub ’60 commitment to ensure proper care for all students and its mission, and I look forward who needed it informs the College’s response to working with him as we continue to that bodes well for the future! to coronavirus today. Our community has honor the legacy of all who came before us. faithfully adopted new health procedures to 12 Thank you to everyone who has shown such keep all of us safe as well as compassionately tremendous support to our community this supported those whose families have been HISTORIC FEATURE year. Your loyalty and generosity ensure that impacted by COVID. our school remains strong and our students A History of We have also remained committed to our can create legacies of their own. Together, we Epidemics and educational mission, providing excellent will step courageously ahead into a brighter, academic and residential programs for healthier, and more equitable future. Girard College our students. Knowing that our youngest students benefit most from face-to-face Hail Girard! instruction, our hybrid learning model prioritized in-person learning in the elementary school while optimizing our virtual platforms to deliver the same GIRARD COLLEGE EDITOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS HON. PAUL P. PANEPINTO GIRARD COLLEGE ALUMNI high-quality curriculum to all of our OF CITY TRUSTS ASSOCIATION DOMINIC A. SABATINI OUR MISSION students. While we have pivoted as needed DR. HEATHER D. WATHINGTON ADAM MCGRATH Girard College is a full-scholarship President Director, Marketing & BERNARD W. SMALLEY, ESQ. HON. MARK F. SQUILLA RONALD MARRERO ’94 based on health trends in our region, we President President boarding school that fosters Brand Communications HON. MICHAEL J. STACK continue to work toward a day when all SYLVIA V. BASTANI [email protected] intellectual curiosity, social MICHAEL P. MEEHAN, ESQ. EDWARD GALLAGHER ’99 of our students can return to campus safely. Vice President, Advancement GREGORY S. ROST development and emotional & Strategic Partnerships Vice President First Vice President growth in academically focused FEATURED WRITERS Ex officio for the Mayor I also want to take a moment to acknowledge of Philadelphia students from underserved HON. MARIAN B. TASCO JEFF HERO ’74 the legacy of the Honorable Ronald R. JON TUCKER communities. We ensure every Vice President, Student Life KATHERINE HAAS Vice President Second Vice President Director, Historical Resources REP. DONNA BULLOCK student the opportunity and Donatucci, who passed in November after Ex officio for the President of the means to achieve excellence more than 30 years in service to the Board STAN BOBOWSKI JOSEPH P. BILSON City Council of Philadelphia DENNIS KELLEHER ’65 Vice President, Academics PHOTOGRAPHY Acting Secretary Treasurer and preparation for advanced of City Trusts. Ron always put the students education through purposeful of Girard College first in his work as Board DR. KEENAN D. DORSEY WILLIAM GALLAGHER ADAM MCGRATH BOARD OF DIRECTORS academic and residential programs. Vice President, Administration Director of GCAA President, and we heard from many alumni & Compliance LYNETTE M. BROWN-SOW [email protected] DESIGN OUR VALUES who recalled the ways in which he touched ALBERT S. DANDRIDGE III, ESQ. CLINTON A. WALTERS, JR. Respect. Responsibility. Integrity. their lives personally. His impact on the DR. HEATHER D. WATHINGTON Controller J2 DESIGN HON. MICHAEL A. NUTTER Courage. Compassion. College will resonate for years to come. President, Girard College 1 WINTER 2021 Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of our staff and the support of our community, Girard College has continued to provide an excellent academic and residential program for our students while keeping health and Unleashing safety a top priority. Courage CELEBRATING GIRARD’S HEROES When the COVID-19 pandemic begin the year in a hybrid model, with our hit in March 2020, the Girard youngest students (grades 1-3) returning in person while older students began the College administration reacted year virtually. swiftly to protect all staff and In her opening announcement in August students. Work and school were (delivered virtually), President Dr. Heather suddenly remote as the world Wathington set the tone for the year changed around us. by reminding the College’s staff of the importance of our mission, prompting Thankfully, virtual instruction picked them to “unleash courage,” in honor of up without missing a beat thanks to the the school’s recently adopted core value. careful planning and dedication of our By setting positive intentions, demonstrating faculty and staff, and we were able to empathy, and embracing flexibility, we finish the year strong while celebrating would face this challenge together and traditions and honoring the graduating become heroes to our students. class of seniors. While teaching faculty went the extra As conditions improved over the summer, mile to train on virtual instruction planning began for what would be a very techniques and the residential life team different school year. The College’s crisis practiced safe interactions for when team met weekly to develop multiple students would arrive, there were many options and contingencies to be ready to other staff members who worked behind open school safely in the fall. Ultimately, the scenes to put the College’s health ABOVE based on the best available science and and safety plan into action. Engineers Rich and Marc Olivsatri evaluate the health data, the decision was made to ventilation system in the high school building. 3 STEEL & GARNET WINTER 2021 From Facilities, Maintenance, and Security Dr. Dorsey’s experience in staff to work at record speed to bring buildings to Nursing, Dining Services, and Laundry, administration and human resources out of suspension and rejuvenate, repair dozens of Girard staff members faced allowed him to work closely with the and furnish them for occupancy.” unprecedented challenges with courage various departments and unions at Girard Other challenges for the facilities team and fortitude. Whether it was administering to strategize and make decisions on how was acquiring supplies and equipment to temperature screenings, preparing meals to best provide a safe academic, social, and make sure they could maintain a sanitized and uniforms, or applying plexiglass to work environment for all. From securing campus to keep students and staff safe, desks, heroes emerged day after day, both personal protective equipment to leading as well as assessing the ventilation and leading up to the start of the school year trainings on social distancing and air quality of all buildings and addressing and in the months since. quarantining, Dr. Dorsey ensured that any issues immediately. Several key areas made it possible for us to College staff understood the reasoning Pavoni said of his team, “I’m so inspired by welcome students and staff back to campus: behind the new health and safety procedures. the essential workers who stepped up with safety procedures, health services, and Nurse Terri knew that the way to combat enthusiasm to make sure the school would campus facilities. With new guidelines and the fear and uncertainty that came with continue to function. We would not have recommendations constantly evolving at the pandemic was with knowledge. been able to bring students back without the state and city level, the naming of Dr. “I researched COVID-19 and became their dedication.” Keenan Dorsey as Pandemic Coordinator familiar with all of the guidance from ensured fidelity in the College’s adherence the governing bodies at the local, state, It has taken a village to make the 2020-21 to all requirements. Manager of Health and national level,” she said. “Additionally, school year happen, and continuous Services, Theresa Zengolewicz, RN worked I knew we needed an outside partner adjustments are still needed as the closely with a private testing company to help us with testing, mitigation and pandemic spikes and recedes. After and served as a liaison for Girard families contact tracing. The support and training welcoming 4th, 5th, and 9th graders to to guide them through the steps of testing our nursing staff received gave me the campus in November for one brief week, and health screening.