Page 6 - VESTIGE 1999

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In Tribute To. Charlotte "Mike" Berry
Mrs. Charlotte Berry makes VES work. In her quiet and discerning way she touches the life of every student and teacher within the school and influences many beyond the school. As Director of Studies she makes certain that each student has the proper courses and credits for graduation. As Dean of the Faculty-and the first woman to hold this administrative post- she heads the faculty evaluation process which insures the high quality of the instruction received at VES. She is an instrumental part of the process of hiring new teachers. Her penetrating and perceptive judgment makes her a valuable member of the Administrative, the Admissions, and the Curriculum Committees.
But for us, the students, she is important as the teacher of the two highest level math classes: Honors Analysis, and AP Calculus. Each morning Monday through Friday she is there in her bright and attractive, picture- filled office waiting for any student who needs extra help or simply wants to talk. Mrs. Berry always has a complete, realistic and practical respect for facts. When she b~came the first woman teacher at VES to win the Fulton Award, the headmaster said about her, "She is someone every one of us would want to have as a teacher for our children and for ourselves!"
Mrs. Berry has an impact on the world beyond VES by her involvement in many professional organizations. She has been a vice- president of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools and more recently, president of the Professional Development Committee of that organization. She serves regularly on Visiting Committees evaluating other independent schools for VAIS certification, and she has been for many years an AP Calculus Reader.
Mrs. Berry was the valedictorian of her high school class in Harrisburg, Illinois, graduated from Southern Illinois University, and then was the first. woman to receive a degree from Dartmouth College. She joined the VES faculty after the sudden and tragically early death of her husband, math teacher Thomas Berry, in 1981. Her daughter Heather was the valedictorian of her class at Seven Hills, and her son Tom was the VES valedictorian in 1989. Mrs. Berry has two grandchildren: Duncan McKechney and Lane Berry. She is skilled in every variety of needlework, avidly reads the latest mysteries, and plays hand bells for the church choir.
The 1999 Vestige is dedicated to Mrs. Berry with gratitude and love for her sparkling sense of fun, her total dedication., and the wise judgment which shines through all she does.
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