An Evening of Gratitude and Celebration

Allison Kaneb Pellegrino ’89, P’21, ’22, president of the Winsor Corporation, welcomed everyone to the celebratory dinner in Carolyn McClintock Peter Hall. “I am grateful for the education I received here, for the education my daughters are fortunate enough to be experiencing now, and I’m grateful for my Winsor friendships which span years, and even decades,” she said. “I am also grateful to each of you, because your generosity allows these sorts of experiences and friendships to endure over time. Your support and stewardship of this place means that it will be here for our children, or even grandchildren, and so on. And for that, I thank you.”

Head of School and O’Donnell Family Chair Sarah Pelmas thanked the gathering of friends, parents, and parents of alumnae. “Because of you, I know Winsor will have a long and bright future.” Ms. Pelmas noted several celebrations and milestones that will take place during the 2019-2020 school year, including: the 25th anniversary of Under the Lights; the revival of Founder’s Day (historically celebrated on October 31, Miss Winsor’s birthday!); and the 50th Reunion of Pam Brooks ’70, the first African-American student to graduate from Winsor. These celebrations, she said, “show the world our values, and they allow us to have fun while honoring the things we most cherish about this community, both goofy and serious.”

Ms. Pelmas introduced Lower School science teacher and 2018-2019 Pennypacker Prize recipient, Theresa Evenson, noting, “Most of us still love learning, and we eagerly seek out opportunities to learn more. This is certainly because of the pure joy of learning that good teachers offer. And also, because they push us to be better people than we thought we could be; they model the joy of discovery about ourselves and the world, and, in the best cases, they give us a glimpse of that divine spark within each of us.”

Now in her twenty-second year of teaching middle school, and sixth year at Winsor, Ms. Evenson is known around campus for her love of animals and the natural world, and for her passion for helping her students connect with and understand them. As the evening’s featured speaker, Ms. Evenson illuminated her dedication to girls’ education, and her hopes for her students as they grow into young adulthood (read her full speech here).

“Developing confidence, being able to ask those tough questions, knowing how to approach research and to problem solve are skills I want my students to attain so that they can become independent thinkers, informed citizens, and make choices that are best for them in the future,” said Ms. Evenson.

“As a Class I teacher, I have had the privilege of watching our youngest students grow up over their time at Winsor and our girls have wonderful role models to look up to and to learn from within our faculty, parent body, and the alumnae association. I look forward to seeing my students develop their interests, passions and talents in the years to come, and to become leaders in the fields of their choice.”