Foxcroft School Honors Four Faculty Members During End of Year Celebrations
One Excellence in Teaching Award, One Service Award, and Two Endowed Chairs
MIDDLEBURG, VIRGINIA — Fine Arts Department Chair Julie Fisher, Facilities Manager Danny Borror, STEM teacher Meghen Tuttle, PhD, and English Department Chair Steve McCarty were all honored by Head of School Cathy McGehee during Foxcroft’s end-of-year celebrations.
Julie Fisher received the 2022 Mary Louise Leipheimer Excellence in Teaching Award established in 2014 by Foxcroft’s Board of Trustees to honor the retiring Head of School who spent 40+ years at the School as a teacher and administrator. “A quiet but transformative educator, Julie has expanded and raised the bar for our arts program through her vision, leadership, and hard work,” observed Head of School Cathy McGehee during her remarks. “From building our digital arts program and our STEAM design courses to submitting student work to a variety of juried shows, she has found ways to showcase our students’ voices through a variety of mediums.” Her innovative and collaborative approach to learning helps students connect with the surrounding community through curated student art shows at the Artists in Middleburg gallery and completing Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) projects benefitting Banneker Elementary, Aldie Mill, and the Goose Creek Association. She teaches photography, engineering, and graphic design; serves as the Tally-ho! Yearbook advisor; and mentors students pursuing their academic concentration in The Arts.
Recognizing his dedication and outstanding service to Foxcroft for the past decade, Danny Borror was awarded the 2022 Jane Lockhart Service Award, established in 2012 and given to a distinguished member of Foxcroft’s staff or faculty who exemplifies a personal commitment to and understanding of all of our students. “Each and every day, Mr. Borror’s work to keep our buildings and grounds safe, beautiful, and functioning helps create a welcoming campus for our students, their families, and their teachers,” remarked McGehee. “Over the past two years, the pandemic has provided us with many extra challenges. You and the team have gone above and beyond to make sure our community is safe. Now that we are back to normal, you help us set up for events and programs, sometimes with little notice — and then there are all the other challenges faced by a 108-year-old, 500-acre campus with 50 buildings, from the electrical work to plumbing, and so much more.”
As a STEAM teacher and Wellness Education Coordinator at Foxcroft, Dr. Meghen Tuttle is the fourth person to hold the Eleanor B. Stevens Chair for Science, established in 1997 through the generosity of the Robert J. Kleberg, Jr. and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation. A true scholar and lifelong learner with a broad knowledge and genuine love for science, Dr. Tuttle’s classes are active, collaborative, and interdisciplinary with real-world applications. In the last weeks of school, her biology students incubated and hatched baby chicks, quite the unique experience, ultimately rehoming them to a nearby farm. “Each day Dr. Tuttle helps our students think like scientists by providing case studies and applying the scientific method as they conduct labs and write their reports,” reflected McGehee. “Her students learn critical reasoning skills and gain confidence that they can become scientists themselves. Her passion for science and research is evident in all she does.”.
A master teacher who “walks the walk” with his students, Steve McCarty is the fourth holder of the H. Laurence Achilles Chair for English, named for a master teacher, scholar, mentor, and friend who led the English Department until his retirement in 1977. McCarty has expanded opportunities for students to experience the written and spoken word at the Paul K. Bergan Poetry Festival and live readings in Washington, D.C. He regularly encourages them to share their voices by submitting to present and publish their works. “Mr. McCarty is an innovative teacher, using the most current research and tools available to enhance instruction,” noted McGehee. “As Chair of the English Department, he has led the way in integrating Mastery Learning into the pedagogy and curriculum, overhauling the entire English program. He holds high expectations for his students and colleagues but asks nothing less of himself.” McCarty has taught in Foxcroft’s English and History departments for 15 years and was recognized with the Leipheimer Excellence in Teaching Award in 2017. His work has been published in several literary journals, including The Thomas Hardy Review, The Piedmont Virginian, and Poet Lore.
