CH-CH Unveils the Nancy S. Emery Memorial Garden and Learning Commons

During a ribbon cutting on Thursday, September 28, 2017, Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall unveiled two new spaces on campus, the Nancy S. Emery Memorial Garden and the CH-CH Learning Commons.

 

Nancy Spooner Emery was a member of the CH-CH community from 1972-1997. During her time, Nancy was a beloved teacher, educator, colleague, and friend. She shaped the lives of individual students, she mentored faculty members and she helped to create a school where each person mattered and was recognized and respected for their individual worth. 

 

As a former CH-CH teacher, current Trustee, and a good friend of Nancy, Margaret Allen spoke at the ribbon cutting to the importance behind the Nancy S. Emery Memorial Garden. “There are times in the life of an organization when things come together to create a special moment, a unique opportunity. This is one of those times for Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall”, said Allen. “Today, we recognize this extraordinary person, Nancy Spooner Emery, and honor the central role she played in the history of the School, as she worked to guide it from its early beginnings to the School that it is today.”

 

The Nancy S. Emery Memorial Garden will be used for both outdoor classroom space and independent work and features flowering plants and trees, and a Soapstone Sphere designed by David Allen ’93 of Stone Point Studio. It is a place designed for quiet reflection and the peaceful enjoyment of nature, with an aesthetic that would have pleased Nancy's sensibilities.

 

The CH-CH Learning Commons brings many new features, including a maker space with 3D printing capabilities, a collection of modular group work tables, and a portable stage. It also is the new location of CH-CH’s collection of books, reference materials, and access to the many databases and online resources. A key aspect of nurturing this creativity is flexibility. The entire space is designed to be flexible enough to accommodate several small groups of two, three, or four students working together, but can also become a space big enough to handle two whole classes working separately, or an entire grade level engaged in some large group activity.

To view photos from this event, click here.