Bulldog News
Hillside dedicates school courtyard
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Members of the Hillside community gathered together recently to dedicate the Academic & Health Center courtyard in honor of the Weezie Foundation, a long-time benefactor of the school.
Students, faculty and administrators, along with members of the Hillside School Board of Trustees, joined within the courtyard itself on September 18 to officially rename the space as the Weezie Courtyard.
In opening remarks for the event, Hillside School Headmaster David Z. Beecher thanked Hillside board member and Weezie Foundation representative Betsy Carroll for her foundation’s long-time support of the school.
“We are especially pleased to name this courtyard in tribute to the Weezie Foundation and its namesake, Louise Frances Walker, because of the strong, enduring dedication and generosity to Hillside demonstrated by both Betsy Carroll and her foundation,” noted Headmaster Beecher.
Similar appreciation was expressed by other event speakers who also took time to remark on how the courtyard has proven to be an asset to Hillside itself.
“It contributes to the beauty of the school,” said student Tomas Alvarez ’10 about the Weezie Courtyard’s attributes. “On behalf of our students, we thank the Weezie Foundation for this donation to our school.”
Meanwhile, Hillside School Associate Headmaster Art Goodearl noted the courtyard’s proximity between the Stevens and Stemberg wings of the Academic & Health Center, locations where many English and history classes are taught.
“In many ways, the new Weezie Courtyard provides us with an excellent platform for teaching the humanities here at Hillside,” stated Goodearl.
In addressing the event participants, Betsy Carroll offered both background about the foundation and the reasons behind its commitment to Hillside.
As she explained, the foundation was formed by her grandparents in honor of her relative, Louise Frances Walker, who died tragically in a horse riding accident when she was young.
Carroll recalled how another close relative, as a child, had difficulty pronouncing Louise’s name, instead calling her Weezie. “And so, when she passed away, my grandparents created the Weezie Foundation in Louise’s honor.”
Carroll noted that, over the years, the foundation has supported everything from children’s hospitals to gardens and schools. Among these beneficiaries, Hillside has always held a special place in the foundation’s interests.
“We are so proud of Hillside and what you have accomplished over the years,” said Carroll. “So, for what your school has become and where you are going, we are delighted to support Hillside on behalf of a little girl who will forever be ten years old.”
Betsy Carroll (middle) of the Weezie Foundation unveils the Weezie Courtyard sign at the close of the September 18 dedication ceremony, along with members of the Hillside School Board of Trustees and other representatives of the Hillside School community.
