2012 Grandparent's and Special Person's Day Join us for our annual Grandparent's and Special Person's Day on Monday, May 14. Grandparents, great grandparents and special visitors are invited to spend the morning with their Lower School Baldwin girls, participating in their classes and enjoying performances created just for them.   Registration begins at 9:00 am at the Baldwin Athletic Center with refreshments for our guests.  Convenient parking is located on the campus and vans will be available to shuttle visitors between the Athletic Center and the Residence building, home to our pre-K and K classrooms.    We hope you can join us.

Baldwin's First-Ever Wing Bowl 5/4/12...Baldwin's student Athletic Association conceived of and coordinated the school's first-ever Wing Bowl during Alumnae Weekend. The nine contestants included Julia Smith '12, Mr. Pulli (information technology), Mr. Bannard (history), Marina Crowe '12, Jessica Gubanich '12, Leah Silverman '12, Julia Hopkins '14, Vera Ekhator '15 and Jean Collins '14.   Eating 13 wings in three minutes, Julia was declared the Wing Bowl champion and awarded a trophy by Tiffany Hau, president of the student Athletic Association.   Click here to visit our Media Gallery for photos.

Arden Simone and Ali Thaler to Play at US Lacrosse National Tournament                                       5/4/12...Arden Simone and Ali Thaler have been selected to play at the US Lacrosse National Tournament held at Stony Brook University, NY over Memorial Day weekend.The tournament will take place in conjunction with the NCAA Division I Women's National Championship.   The Baldwin Varsity lacrosse teammates advanced through rounds of tryouts including the top players in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas.   photos: Arden Simone (left), Ali Thaler (right)

Varsity Crew Posts 4th Flick-Horvat Regatta Results 5/4/12...The Baldwin School Crew raced Sunday in the 4th of the Flick-Horvat Regatta series on the Schuylkill River, Philadelphia with a lot of changes in their boat line-ups.  Winning the Girls Light Double were Storey Waglee (stroke) and Taylor Nickens (bow) with a time of 7:17.73. The Baldwin duo battled a tough crew from Springside all the way down the course winning by 4.46 seconds, just about one boat length! “This is such an exciting win for this double,” said Coach Hud. “Storey and Taylor have only been together this week and are improving their times each time they are on the water. This is a nice combination to watch. They really like to compete!” photo: Storey Wanglee and Taylor Nickens

Varsity Track Setting the Pace   5/4/12...The Baldwin Bears varsity track team battled through a soggy meet on Wednesday at Penn Charter. Baldwin faced off against Germantown Academy, Penn Charter and Agnes Irwin. Finishing second in their heats were Krista Hinchman and Connie Li, both running in the 100 Meters.  Running a personal best in the 200 Meters was Aileen Curley, running a 32.4, good for fourth in her heat. The team will pick up with the final leg of the season at their next meet on May 1st against Penn Charter, Notre Dame and Episcopal Academy.   photo: Krista Hinchman takes the baton from Alice Douglas

Freshman Laxer Ali Thaler Scores 100th Career Goal 5/4/12...Freshman Ali Thaler scored her 100th career goal in InterAc lacrosse competition versus Springside.   Ali, an attack and midfielder, is a second year varsity stater. She leads the team in goals this season with 70 to date, in 13 games.    photo: Ali Thaler takes it to the goal

Varsity Track Posts Personal Bests 5/4/12...The Baldwin Bears varsity track squad competed against Notre Dame Academy at Penn Charter on Tuesday. As the final stretch of the season is upon the team, the squad posted personal best times in preparation for InterAc trials and championships next week.  Connie Li had the best day, running personal best times in the 100 and 200 Meters, posting a 15.8 and 34.7 respectively.  Krista Hinchman finished second in the 200 Meter, running a sub 30 second race at 29.5 Tarlan Daryoush ran a 31.5 in her first 200 of the season. The Bears travel to Springside on Monday May 7 for their final league regular season meet.  photo: Connie Li

A Slammin' Play Slam Stage manager Maya Bindra '17 and playwrights Stephanie Blank ’17, Lila Williams ’17, Cristina Artis ’17 and Olivia Lanchoney ’17. Playwrights not pictured: Ishana S. '17 and Catherine (Haley) Moller ’17.   5/4/2012...The highly anticipated inaugural Play Slam involving Baldwin, Villa Maria Academy and Episcopal Academy will be held on Saturday, May 19. The date is fast approaching and Baldwin’s aspiring Middle School playwrights are in the thick of writing and rehearsing their one-act play for the big unveiling. Comprised of three short scenes that share a common theme, the selected one-act examines the struggles that come with overcoming illness, accepting loss, and bereavement. “The three short pieces being performed are about surviving cancer,” said Middle School Drama Teacher Cynthia Angst. “Loss of Locks is a monologue about a girl who misses her hair due to chemotherapy; A Cancer Story is about a family gathering around a daughter who has cancer; and The Waiting Room focuses on a young man and woman who meet in a therapist’s waiting room. The man has lost a friend due to cancer. Together, these scenes examine the various issues surrounding illness.” The Play Slam will be an opportunity for student playwrights and actors to cooperate in writing, directing, casting and performing original works. Also, the girls will have an opportunity to work with a technical crew at Episcopal Academy on stage lighting and sound management. Mrs. Angst hopes that the Play Slam will encourage students to submit their plays to the Philadelphia Young Playwrights’ Annual Playwriting Festival, and plans to host a Middle School improv night next year to continue to foster the partnership and the talents of the students. “Between the children’s theater performance and the Play Slam, I can see that these special projects have the potential to be a wonderful part of the curriculum for Middle School Drama,” Angst said. The show will be on Saturday May 19 @ 2 p.m., followed by a reception. Tickets can be purchased for $5.00 each from Showtix4U.com

Girls’ Inter-Ac Athletic Directors’ Banquet Honorees   5/3/12...The Girls’ Inter-Ac Athletic Directors’ Banquet was held on May 2 and honored Kaylah Kleczka '12 and former Baldwin Athletic Director Pat West (pictured above). Since 1997, the Inter-Ac League has honored top athletes in the league at the annual Aimee Willard Banquet. Beginning in 2011, the banquet was renamed the Girls’ Inter-Ac Athletic Directors’ Banquet and honors not only one athlete from each of the girls' Inter-Ac schools, but also a past athletic director. Each school selects a senior girl who has been a multi-sport varsity athlete and has exemplified the following characteristics: dedication to their team and school, outstanding representatives of the Inter-Ac League, sportsmanship and leadership. Baldwin Honoree Kaylah Kleczka '12 has accepted a scholarship to row at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is a four-year member of Baldwin's varsity crew and volleyball teams and played varsity basketball for three years.   The Inter-Ac Athletic's Award was given in honor of Pat West, who was Baldwin's Athletic Director and head of the Physical Education Department for 21 years. West was a founding member of the Girls' Inter-Ac, and for many years was the league coordinator. In 2002 to celebrate Pat’s passion for athletic excellence and her hard working approach to athletics, the Pat West Award was established at Baldwin. The award is given every year to a sophomore or junior girl that has played at least one varsity sport and has developed that sport, through outside leagues and summer camps, with the intention of playing at the college level. The recipient has demonstrated dedication and strong sportsmanship.

Triple Crown Gala A "Sure Bet" 5/2/12...The Baldwin School’s Triple Crown Gala was held on Saturday, April 21 at The Radnor Hotel. The evening of cocktails, dinner and dancing was set to the jazz sounds of Del’s Groove and showcased an impressive array of auction packages.  Attendees electronically bid on items ranging from treasured student art to a luxurious stay in Martha’s Vineyard with round-trip airfare via a private plane. The Gala, a Parents’ Association event, raised money in support of Baldwin’s academic programming, with a focus on math, science and technology.  The excitement was kicked off with a Patron Party on March 17 hosted by Peter and Judy Leone, and catered by Food Network Iron Chef and James Beard award winner Jose Garces. Click here to visit our Media Gallery for photos from the event.

A Call to Carnegie Hall 5/1/12...Baldwin Middle School student Margaret "Meg" Frantz '17 can say she played at Carnegie Hall. On April 29, Meg performed Fountain in the Rain by Gillock at Carnegie Hall as a part of her achievement in the piano competition division of the Golden Key Music Festival. After auditioning in February at the prestigious Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, Meg was awarded a silver medal in the 12-13 year old age division and the honor to perform at Carnegie Hall.   According to its website, the Golden Key Music Festival of the United States has established itself as a major cultural event that attracts young instrumentalists and vocalists from across the United States and other countries. Its mission is to give young musicians the opportunity to display their talents on some of the most prestigious concert stages in the United States, and to unlock for them the door into the magic world of art – a realm where almost everyone who steps on the stage is gratified with an incomparable feeling of self-affirmation.

Dramatizing Baldwin: A Recap                        A retelling of the Grimm's fairy tale, "The Golden Goose." 5/1/12...The Middle School drama class put on a show-stopping performance for Lower School students on Friday, April 27 with “I Want…Doesn’t Get.” The Children’s Theater Production, which has become an annual staple at Baldwin, took on an unconventional tune this spring, when the Middle Schoolers decided to turn the classic play on its head. Adopting the subjects of selfishness and greed as core themes, the students performed a sequence of original scenes in the form of short monologues and skits, while also using dramatized versions of Aesop’s Fables and Shel Silverstein stories to illustrate them.                                        A scene from a short skit entitled "The Crane."   Using inventive costumes and props, the students tackled each scene with energy and panache, while using grand gestures and clever wording to convey the important morals and life lessons to their young audience members.    To learn more about the performance, visit our blog, the 701. View photos from the April 27 Children’s Theater Production in our Media Gallery, or check out video performances of The Golden Goose and The Giving Tree on our YouTube channel.

Lights, Camera, Action: It's Cappies Time       Charlotte Morris '13 and Julia Tyminski '13. Photos courtesy of Christian Hopkins. 4/30/12...It's time to shine for two actresses from Baldwin's Little Women: The Musical. Charlotte Morris '13 received a Cappies nomination for female vocalist, while Julia Tyminski '13 was nominated as supporting actress in a musical. Each girl is one of six nominees in her category, and will be critiqued by a panel of journalism students during the Seventh Annual Greater Philadelphia Cappies Gala on May 6 . Click here for a list of all local schools and performers recognized, or read the official press release from Upper Darby Performing Arts Center below. Dreams of Broadway’s Tony Awards will come alive as actors, musicians, writers, and technicians clad in evening gowns and tuxedos stroll down the red carpet to receive their golden trophies in the annual Greater Philadelphia Cappies Gala. Like the Tony or Academy Awards, The Cappies honor excellence in high school theater at the Cappies Gala, the region’s preeminent event recognizing student accomplishments in theater. On May 6, 2012, beginning at 5:30 pm, the Seventh Annual Greater Philadelphia Cappies Gala will be held at the Upper Darby Performing Arts Center, 601 N. Lansdowne Avenue, Drexel Hill, PA. Thirty-four high schools in the Philadelphia region participate in the program. High school journalism students, known as Cappies critics, write reviews of the schools’ shows throughout the year and compete to have their reviews selected for publication in The Philadelphia Inquirer and many other local newspapers. The critics then vote for the award winners, which are entirely determined by student choices. The awards are presented in categories ranging from lighting, sound, set, and costume design, to comic actor, dancer, vocalist, and lead actor, to the coveted Play and Musical awards.   A limited number of tickets for the Seventh Annual Greater Philadelphia Cappies Gala are available for $12 at the Upper Darby Performing Arts Center’s box office, located at 601 North Lansdowne Avenue, Drexel Hill and can be reached at (610) 622-1189.   The Cappies program was founded in Washington, D.C. 13 years ago and is now active in 18 cities across the U.S. and Canada. The Greater Philadelphia region is the second largest, with 33 schools performing new musicals such as Urinetown, Hairspray and Legally Blonde, classic hits such as How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Beauty and the Beast, and plays new and old such as Twelve Angry Jurors, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Running in the Red.   The Greater Philadelphia Cappies Gala will begin with a musical number performed by representatives from each of the schools in the program. Throughout the evening, 16 schools nominated for Best Song, Best Play, and Best Musical will perform selections from their shows. More than 250 nominated students will receive medallions, and 42 trophies will be presented to the Cappie winners. Superintendents, principals and board members from participating schools, as well as theater professionals and members of the press, will serve as special guest presenters.

Baldwin Hosts Main Line Poetry Night   Student peers ready to offer advice and support.   4/30/12...High school students from area schools gathered Thursday evening in the Anne Frank Library to write and discuss their poetry. Led by Baldwin’s Creative Writing Club, students were offered writing prompts, homemade desserts and coffee and tea, and time to think and work in the company of other writers. Much laughter, some poignant criticism, a lot of clever phrasing accompanied this first annual coffee house style event.

A Groovy Family Gathering          A Baldwin family, the 'Sassy Sisters', gather together before the all-school assembly.   4/26/12...Our 2011-2012 Family Gatherings ended with a bang today to the rhythm of Alex Shaw and an energetic ensemble. Some of the performers also are a part of Alo Brasil, a music and dance group.   Alex and his charismatic group led the school in an interactive performance/workshop, featuring an introduction to music and movement of West African Drum & Dance and Capoeira Angola (Afro-Brazilian Martial Art/Dance). Throughout the program, students were engaged in traditional song, rhythms and movement sequences characteristic of the cultural art form being presented.   Students learned how to communicate emotion through dance, as the group explained the meanings behind certain gestures and body movements. A ‘palms up’ gesture signifies honesty in the individual, while a movement that begins as a crouch is representative of the relationship one has with the earth and with their ancestors. Alex and his ensemble then showed the students how to combine these strong gestures and movements with music in order to create a performance that is both powerful and evocative.         Click here to view videos from the event on our YouTube channel, or check out pictures in our Media Gallery.       Jeannine Osayande of Alex Shaw's ensemble leads an interactive music and movement workshop.

Baldwin's Artists 4/24/12...Arts Day on March 16 culminated with a banquet run by the Arts League, in recognition of our talented visual and performing arts students. Awards were given based not only on talent, but on the student's commitment to and vision for the arts. Here are the results:   Visual Arts Jewelry - Heather Brown '14, Jean Collins '14, Taylor Flowers '13 Ceramics - Julia Fournier' 13, Nellie Shields '14, Kennedy Johnson '14, Niyah Dantzler '14, Taylor Nickens '13 Sculpture - Niyah Dantzler '14 Digital Photo - Ryan Morgan '14 3D outstanding achievement - Olivia Hogg '12 Art I - Alexa Horwitz '15 Art I - Ali Thaler '15 New Painter Award - Daria Harlamova '14 Seasoned Painter Award - Natalie Webb '12 Art History Enthusiast Award - Maddie Noteware '12 Photography – Sophia Tareen '13 Music Chorus/B-Flats– Randi Brown '12, Emma DiFrancesco '12, Randa Melhem '12, Kim Rouse '12, Elena Saltzman '12, Amanda Ter Doest '12 Senior in District Chorus – Kim Rouse '12 Eliza-B-thans – Rachel Coler '14 “Priscilla” Award - Jasmine Schlichting '13 (Belles), Jamie Schwartz '14 (Bronze) Firenze – Tarlan Daryoush '13 Jazz – Hallie Roseman '12 Ensemble – Amalia Bowen '13, Hannah Bao '13 Theater Kim Rouse '12 Michaela Shuchman '12 Arts Achievement - Kim Rouse '12 Smock - Tiffany Hau '12 Arts Service Award – Kiri Dugan '12, Randa Melhem '12

The Results Are In: Upper School Elections 4/23/12...Congratulations to the girls listed below, who will be representing these four Upper School groups next year.   Rising Senior Class Senate Taylor Nickens Jaslyn McIntosh Charlotte Solmssen Chelsea Kaiser Service League Mecca Pelzer Tiana Mason Jasmine Schlichting Karissa Wenk Athletic Association Arden Simone Julz Vaccaro Karly Wood Fiona McCanney Arts League Charlotte Matthai Hannah Bao Savanna Stanton-Ameisen Charlotte Morris Rising Junior Class Senate Katie Edwards Selena Maity Tristen Thompson Service League Haley Weiss Musu Taylor Niyah Dantzler Athletic Association Maddie Pujadas Nellie Shields Cashel McCarthy Arts League Julia Hopkins Mary Morris Saleka Shyamalan Rising Sophomore Class Senate Vanessa Auritt Nicole Baker Service League Sarah Douglas Sarah Durlofsky Athletic Association Krista Hinchman Ali Thaler Arts League Amber Dugan Kiana Porter

Dramatizing Baldwin 4/20/12...It’s that time of year again, and the Middle School drama class’s busiest bees are gearing up for the annual Children’s Theater Production that will be performed for the Lower School on Friday, April 27.     Though the production has traditionally come in the form of a play – with Winnie the Pooh and Peter Rabbit having been performed over the previous two years, the Grade VII and VIII girls decided to set the stage this spring with a show that’s a little more unconventional. The students involved in the production are currently in the midst of writing a sequence of original scenes, in addition to creating dramatized versions of Aesop’s fables and Shel Silverstein stories that will be performed as short monologues and skits on show day.  The drama students will also design and create their own costumes for each scene.   Click here to get the details on this inventive production and to find about Baldwin's participation in the upcoming Play Slam with Episcopal Academy and Villa Maria Academy.

A Tribute to a Baldwin Science Legend 4/19/12...Retired Baldwin science teacher Elizabeth Chesick has been awarded the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) 2012 Distinguished Service Citation.  A former Baldwin parent and trustee, Elizabeth taught at Baldwin for 42 years and is still making significant contributions to her field of study. Dr. Dorfman, Middle School and AP biology teacher, says this about "Mrs. Cheese:" R. A. Heinlein said, “A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.” Elizabeth Chesick is a supreme generalist – a jack-of-all-trades –Science Department Chair, Presidential award winning physics teacher, advisor to Mock Trial, maven of Ring Day, connoisseur of Blazers, queen of Science Fairs, trekker to glaciers in Iceland and volcanoes in Hawaii and Italy, digger of dinosaur bones, leader of a homeless shelter and advisor to the inhabitants, seamstress, mother of two daughters, grandmother of two granddaughters, supreme science educator, and still at it after all these years. As I leave the Science Building in the quiet of the after-school hours, I walk toward the front door and occasionally turn left toward the physics classroom as if to yell out, “Good Night, Liz, see you tomorrow” as I did for many years. Liz Chesick was synonymous with science at Baldwin for many years. Alumnae would return to Baldwin during Winter Break and bring their friends to meet "Mrs. Cheese." At one o’clock in the morning, they would toss stones at the window of the physics classroom.  Liz would welcome her former students and their friends into the classroom to once again work physics problems.

Middle School Science Night 4/18/12...On April 25, parents will get a behind-the-scenes look at the research and findings of Baldwin's Middle School scientists.    Middle School Science Night will kick off with a presentation by Sophia Tareen '13 on her research to determine the health risks posed to teenagers by the use of iPod/mp3 players. Following a brief question and answer session, students and guests will view research and activities completed by Grade VI and VII students, including:   Famous Physical Scientists Project: The Grade VI students will present experiments representing the famous physical scientists they have researched and about whom they have prepared posters. Generations: Grade VII students will demonstrate the experiments they have done to enhance their learning of cell biology, genetics and molecular biology.