Hewitt News

The Hewitt Community raised funds last spring to make important improvements to our Stillman Hall roof spaces. Both the playdeck and the Ashley Hope Goodman ’18 Memorial Garden were renovated this summer with an eye toward safety, sustainability, and beauty.

Hewitt alumna Ashley Hope Goodman ’18 passed away on September 28, 2021. Ashley was passionate about community building and bringing people together. The Garden began when Hewitt alumnae Caroline Baillie ’22 and Natalia Macia ’22 designed and built out the space as part of their Extended Inquiry project in the Uncovering Climate Change course. Ashley’s family, Karen, Marc, and Parker Goodman; together with dear friends Mackenzie Foskett ’18 and her family; and Sophia Michaelson ’18 and her family, selected the Garden as the best place to honor Ashley’s memory because it is a space that facilitates relationship building and joyfulness. 

This summer, new planters were added to the Ashley Hope Goodman ’18 Memorial Garden, along with perennial, evergreen plants, including a red cedar sapling and two Blue Point junipers, increasing the greenery and carbon sequestration impact of the space. Benches, table, chairs, a retractable awning, and new, more absorbent and comfortable flooring were also added to the roof garden, creating a more pleasant and effective learning, meeting, and study space. 

Endowed gifts to the Ashley Hope Goodman ’18 Memorial Fund will support sustainability programming, such as this garden that invites all students to gather, build community, learn, and sustain the garden. 

On the other side of the roof is our playdeck, where Hewitt middle school students enjoy outdoor recess. Thanks to funds raised at the 2023 Benefit, this large area received new flooring, new basketball hoops, and branded wall padding. Thank you to our 2023 Benefit Co-Chairs Chanté and Rodney Allen P’28 and Rose Ugarte-Gee and Ron Gee P’24 P’24 P’36, and everyone who supported our joyful Benefit!