BASIS Independent McLean has been in full swing since mid-August. The school has begun its 10th year, the classrooms are filled with eager students, and Ms. Reynolds, our Director of Academic Programs since 2017 and Associate Head of School during the 2024-25 school year, has stepped up to be our new Head of School. Ms. Reynolds brings with her over twenty years of experience in education. She is also a proud BASIS Independent McLean parent, with two Red-Tailed Hawks in PreK-1 and Kindergarten. We were excited to ask her a few questions to help families get to know her better.
Personal Connection to the School
What first drew you to BIM, and what excites you most about our community?
I first started working in BASIS Curriculum Schools in 2012, as an Upper School math teacher. As a teacher, I was drawn to the high expectations and the level of autonomy in the classroom that teachers have. When I was invited to join BIM, I was most excited to be a part of such a diverse community of learners. To be able to watch students grow from the Early Years all the way through graduation is such a rewarding experience as an educator.
“She was just a very good math teacher for my 8th-grade Algebra 2 class. She was great at getting the whole class involved in activities. For her child’s gender reveal, she designed three functions where the correct answers were ‘B,’ ‘O,’ and ‘Y,’ respectively, when graphed on planes. ”—Ethan S. ’26, in his eighth year at BIM.
In addition to your administrative role, you are also a parent at our school. What difference does that second perspective bring to your current role?
Having my own kids in our school, in the Early Learning Program, has been such a huge perk for me! It is, of course, incredible that they get to benefit from our excellent program, and for me, professionally, I’ve benefited from the opportunity to see things through the parent lens. It’s helped me to both appreciate and understand the Early Learning Program and how the developmental stages overlay and align with our curriculum. At the same time, there are some things I’ve identified through this lens that we can improve upon, so I like bringing those ideas to the table as well.
“Ms. Reynolds is able to see the small pieces within the big picture. She has an ultimate goal in mind and makes sure that everyone has a role to get there. She is willing to hear new ideas and strengthen the old, and she is always asking, ‘Is it good for the kids?’”—Ms. Orth, Director of Student Affairs, Lower School
Role & Leadership Style
How would you describe your role as the HOS? How do you see yourself supporting our teachers and families?
I don’t see my role as being the expert on everything, but to ensure all our experts are in place so we can capitalize on all of the individual strengths of our team. Our faculty is amazingly talented, and I love getting to know each of them and their individual strengths and needs so we can set them up to be the best they can be. In the same way, I really enjoy getting to know our students and their families and seeing how everyone in our community fits together. Putting organizational structures and systems in place to improve the way we do things has always been one of my strengths, and I hope to continue to do that on a larger scale.
“It may not be apparent from the outside, but Ms. Reynolds’ fingerprints are all over this school. She has played a huge role in developing our curriculum and establishing systems to support our teachers and students. She’s also had a big impact on me and my own teaching practice!”—Dr. Hight, Student Advancement Manager
You will be working with Mr. Wright, our former Director of Upper School and now our new Associate Head of School. Could you share what role he will play in collaborating with you to support our students and families?
Mr. Wright and I work very closely to ensure that our faculty and academic leadership are supported. He brings many years of Upper School teaching and leadership experience to our team, and I especially appreciate his strength in focusing on growing the BIM community. We have very complementary strengths and also a shared vision for how we see BIM moving forward.
“Ms. Reynolds is incredibly passionate about our mission and possesses a deep knowledge of our school. She leads in a collaborative and supportive fashion, and will greatly benefit our community in the years to come.”—Mr. Wright, Associate Head of School
Vision & Impact
As the new Head of School, what do you foresee changing in the next five years?
Going into our 10th year, we already have such a solid foundation and a successful program to build on. Over the next five years, there are some things that we’d like to refine and improve upon, but there’s nothing that we need to completely overhaul or start from scratch. We’ve grown, improved, and strengthened our program and community tenfold over the last 9 years, so in year 10 and beyond, we have the momentum and groundwork to make incremental improvements on those successes.
When you think about the kind of graduates we want to send out into the world, what qualities do you hope they’ll carry with them?
I hope that our graduates will carry with them our EPIC values—Empathy, Perseverance, Integrity, and Curiosity—into the world. We look to grow these skills alongside the academic skills, with the intention of sending students out into the world with not just knowledge but with purpose in how to use that knowledge.
Looking Ahead to Future Students
You also interview prospective students. What qualities do you look for in future Red-Tailed Hawks?
I really try to look for evidence of all our EPIC values to determine if a student is going to thrive here. We want students and their families who join us to share our values of Empathy, Perseverance, Integrity, and Curiosity. Kids are naturally curious, and we’re looking for students who also demonstrate a desire to know and do more, as well as the grit to navigate challenges as they learn and grow.
There’s a Finnish word, “sisu”, which translates roughly to grit or tenacity of purpose, that I learned from a previous Head of School and which has always resonated with me in the way it fits our students.
Thank you, Ms. Reynolds (and everyone, for your comments)! As the new school year begins, we look forward to working alongside you to support our students and families in reaching even greater success!
“Did you know that our faculty subbing system instruction is a song, and it was written and sung by Ms. Reynolds?” —Ms. Glanzer, Performing Arts Teacher
BASIS Independent McLean is an Age 2–Grade 12 private school, providing students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings. Considering joining the Red-Tailed Hawks community? To join our interest list for the next school year and receive admissions updates and more, please click here.
The excitement is building as our youngest learners at BASIS Independent Brooklyn prepare to embark on another year of discovery and growth. While these bright minds never cease to amaze us with their curiosity and resilience, we recognize that the transition from summer’s freedom to the classroom’s structure can stir up a mix of perfectly natural emotions.
The shift from leisurely mornings and open-ended days to the rhythm of school life is one of childhood’s most significant seasonal changes. It’s an opportunity for growth, new friendships, and academic adventures that lie ahead.
Our Head of School for the Lower School, Ms. Miller-Sims, has gathered her most effective strategies from years of guiding our younger students through this important transition from her years as a school leader as well as a classroom teacher. These approaches will help transform any back-to-school butterflies into excitement for the learning journey ahead.
Reintroduce routines before the start of school. Now is a great time to start resetting routines, particularly around bedtime. Going to bed a bit earlier will make the transition to an early bedtime during the school year less of a jolt. The more you talk to students about shifting to back-to-school schedules, the better. For younger students, consider starting up again the ritual of picking outfits out the night before. Practice using school materials, such as wearing a backpack, during the day. For older students, have a discussion of where they will do their homework this year. Make it fun for them. Let them know that this homework space is their own special grown-up area.
Talk to your students about making new friends. Socialization is an important part of the development that occurs in school, and we know students need to stretch and grow in this area each year. Partner with the school by talking to your student about how exciting it is to meet new friends. We are trying to teach children a variety of skills, and learning how to meet and develop new friendships is important. The home-family connection can make a difference here.
Remember that your students take cues from you, so convey excitement about the new school year. You may be nervous about how your child will separate, how your child will do in classes, or any number of issues. Try to push that worry aside and express excitement about the new school year. Talk about their great new teachers who will be teaching them, and how much they will learn. If you enjoyed school, then share your stories of meeting new teachers and getting new supplies and books. Students are sponges, picking up all the energy and feelings around them. They will reflect excitement about school if you do so genuinely.
Give your child something small that they can keep in their pocket to remind them of you during the school day. For kids who have a difficult time separating, find a small stone, trinket, or a favorite soft item. You can tell them that they can think of you everything they rub it. Just be sure to keep the teacher in the loop that they have a special object on them.
Sit down together to look through class welcome letters. Sit down with your child and read through parts of the welcome letter sent by their lead teacher for the year. These welcome letters will also contain a photo of the teacher, and that will be good to show your child before the first day of school. Practice saying their teacher’s name together.
For new families, we have new student orientation days to help with the transition. While the focus is on new student orientation, the events are also open to returning students who may also have nerves about the start of the school year.
School starts on Wednesday, September 3rd, and we look forward to seeing all our Cubs and Bears for a great year ahead!
BASIS Independent Brooklyn is a PreK–Grade 12 private school, providing students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings. Considering joining the Bears community? To join our interest list for the next school year and receive admissions updates and more,please click here.
BASIS Independent Bellevue Head of School, Dr. Elizabeth Thies
My first experience with our Early Years program took place in Bangkok and it changed my life as an educator, specifically when it came to Kindergarten. I have always valued the fact that we offer our teachers autonomy when it comes to the implementation of our curriculum. But, I don’t think that I ever truly understood the value of this process until I watched learning come to life in a plethora of engaging ways for our Kindergarten students.
Our curriculum is written in a way that allows us to build key literacy skills while also focusing on strong math foundations, making scientific discoveries, and learning about historical events. We incorporate music, art, drama, and engineering as a way to help our students have hands-on experiences and engage different learning styles. In Kindergarten our kids get to explore, play, pretend, and create in such meaningful ways. But most of all, they get to have so much fun while doing it.
What I loved the most about this was how much I learned as a school leader. I realized that the emphasis on fun in Kindergarten was only the beginning. The idea that we could create real-world and meaningful scenarios to supplement the learning process was one that needed to be shared. Kindergarten is where your child’s education journey will begin with us and what a fun adventure it can be!
As the Head of School at BASIS International School Bangkok, I loved visiting our Kindergarten classrooms and partnering with those teachers to be creative in their approach to the learning process. While studying medieval times as a part of their History unit, our Kindergarten students participated in a joust tournament. Who knew that a history lesson could include skateboards and pool noodles in such a meaningful way! Our Kindergarten students chose their own knight names, they had crests, and even celebrated victory with a family style feast afterwards. (I feel like it should be noted that no Kinder knights were harmed in the implementation of the learning)
But the learning didn’t stop there. As an additional part of this unit, our students built catapults in Engineering and tested them by working as teams to test their catapults and destroy an enemy castle. I will note that this was the first time as a Head of School that I had to dodge marbles that were being propelled as I observed a classroom! The hazard was worth the reward of watching our young learners be so actively involved in the learning process.
That same year, I got the opportunity to purchase one of my most prized possessions in the Kindergarten Market. The “streets” of our school library came to life with a variety of vendors selling everything from snacks to rare items. As a part of this market, our Kindergartners learned to put their math and language skills to work. I quickly learned not to be fooled by their sweet and smiling faces as they told me that I got a “special deal” as the Head of School. My experience left me asking the very important question, “What exactly is a fair market price for a genuine dragon egg?” I was equally concerned when several of them simply avoided my questions about if and when it would hatch. I am happy to report two things. The first is that my students did an excellent job calculating the appropriate change, applying discounts, and working on their English speaking skills. The second is that the same dragon egg still sits in my office (unhatched) as a reminder of how fun it is to be a part of the learning process alongside my students.
Being a Head of School with a full Early Years Program made me a better school leader. Getting the opportunity to work alongside creative educators and see all of the ways that learning could come to life in fun and engaging ways allowed me to coach my staff and remind them of the importance of maintaining our rigor while never losing sight of the fact that students make the strongest connections to the material they are being taught when they are immersed in an experience that brings them joy. My Kindergarten teaching team never missed an opportunity to make a connection, build learning skills, or stand out on our campus. Even their Halloween costumes were exceptional!
Check out Dr. Thies in a beard!
But, the point of this is to highlight how much I love watching students enter our program and grow as individuals and learners. This phenomenal teaching and active engagement that ensued served as a constant reminder of the importance of being creative in your approach and helping students build important character traits alongside strong foundational skills. If only every day could feel as fun and rewarding as a day of learning in a BASIS Independent School Kindergarten classroom. The lesson that I learned as a Head of School was that everything that I needed to know about building community and the learning process was being beautifully demonstrated in my Kindergarten classrooms.
I am excited about the opportunities that my experience will create when it comes to adding a Kindergarten at BASIS Independent Bellevue. One of the most exceptional things about our Kindergarten curriculum is that it gives our teachers room to explore imaginative ideas. Our goal is to combine a child’s natural curiosity with learning outcomes that inspire interest and instill a love of learning.
We want our students to be challenged so we create a learning environment that is exploratory in nature and allows students to arrive at natural conclusions on their own. Children learn in a variety of ways and, therefore, it is important to create lessons that allow them to learn and explore. I love watching my Thai students develop and grow over the course of the year and can’t wait to work with our future Kindergarten teachers to make learning just as meaningful and fun!
Check our Admissions Page for more details on how to apply for our inaugural Kindergarten year in Fall 2026!
Reflecting on what makes the “secret sauce” of a BASIS Independent School, one of the consistent themes that stands out is a fundamental belief in students and their capability to be independent learners. This belief drives our mission to develop students into critical thinkers who can analyze and shape the world around them for the better. But if this is the end goal, how does one set the foundation to build these skills? To find out, let’s dive into the practices we find in place with our youngest students and how our Expert Teachers work to nurture independence daily in their classrooms.
In Pre-K Xenon, our students are encouraged to take risks in a supportive environment. “Many students are discouraged when facing a challenge,” noted Ms. Rivera, the Early Education Teacher, “whether it be academic–exploring a new academic concept–or even opening a snack box that their grownup often does for them. I encourage a positive mindset and frame the conversation, so they feel comfortable knowing that they may not be successful the first time, but they will be soon enough!”
To support student success, modeling is a major component in the Xenon classroom. Whether that involves showing students step by step how to zip up a puffy jacket in the winter or how to break down a tricky word into parts to sound it out, encouraging the students to complete the task on their own fosters autonomy.
“Nurturing focuses on fostering a child’s growth by providing a supportive environment where they feel safe to take age-appropriate risks. Nurturing caregivers offer guidance while encouraging children to face challenges, building their confidence and resilience. Children who learn to self-regulate and handle difficulties are better equipped to solve problems and view failure as a natural part of learning, rather than something to avoid,” Ms. Reilly shared. Ms. Reilly brings a wealth of knowledge about childhood development to her Pre-K Platinum classroom each day and supports all BASIS Independent Pre-K teachers in our network as a Subject Advisor. “On the other hand, frequent adult intervention and overprotection can lead to dependency in children. When adults constantly step in to solve every problem or discomfort, children miss opportunities to develop independent problem-solving skills,” Ms. Reilly explained.
Ms. Moses shared that in Pre-K Gold she uses a counting strategy to help motivate students to complete tasks independently. She tells students, “Let me see you try for 10” then stands nearby and counts to ten while a student gives the task their best effort. Pro tip: “Counting backward sometimes incentivizes kids to try even harder!” After about ten seconds, we offer some guidance verbally or physically depending on the task and needs of the child. To continue building stamina and frustration tolerance, as students become more independent you can gradually increase the amount of time a child tries on their own before asking for assistance.
Pre-K Calcium students are similarly nurtured to be independent. Ms. Moon shared that she believes it is “always best to teach a child to do it themselves rather than to do it for them.” She offers up these suggestions for building and fostering autonomy in our young beings:
Teach children routines in manageable steps for daily activities.
Set expectations and make sure children are held accountable to them (within reason!)
Narrow down choices and have children decide their activity, snack, or outfit.
Give children small responsibilities and/or chores.
Offer specific praise when they do well. (i.e. “You put your toys away so carefully- that way they don’t get broken!” vs. “Good job putting away your toys.”)
Parenting in today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world can be overwhelming and stressful. Indeed, a recent report from the Surgeon General brought attention to the unique stressors of raising children. We encourage you to take a breath, take a step back, and observe what your child is capable of when given the opportunity to engage in activities and decisions with autonomy. While your guidance and steadying hand when they falter will always be an invaluable support, you may just be surprised to discover how nurturing independence in your children can help shift your family dynamic to everyone’s benefit.
One quote that nicely sums up the benefits of nurturing as opposed to coddling young students comes from the author Roald Dahl: “The more risks you allow your children to make, the better they learn to look after themselves.”
BASIS Independent Brooklyn is a PreK– Grade 12 private school, providing students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings. Considering joining the Bears community? To join our interest list for the next school year and receive admissions updates and more,please click here.
Before the annual summer Teacher training, BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s leadership team welcomed Leo Yoon to campus as Associate Head of School. He brings years of experience as a teacher and administrator in the private school world. He also joins our community at an exciting time – our community just celebrated 10 years of educating students in Brooklyn, and our school was recognized as the Best K-12 Private School in Brooklyn, Best Private High School in Brooklyn, and Best Private College Prep High School in Brooklyn according to Niche.com’s 2024 rankings.
Most recently, Mr. Yoon led the Upper School Program at The Wilberforce School in Princeton, New Jersey, where he served as Head of Upper School for eight years. He has been dedicated to educating young people throughout his career. He brings with him almost two decades of experience in education, having served in a variety of roles, including math teacher, student dean, director of middle school, and head of upper school. Mr. Yoon holds a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from SUNY Binghamton as well as graduate degrees from Westminster Theological Seminary and Teachers College, Columbia University. To help families get to know more about Mr. Yoon, we asked him about his background and ideas as he moves into the Associate Head of School for BASIS Independent Brooklyn. Below is an interview that has been edited for length and clarity.
Can you share what drew you to a career in education?
While I studied electrical engineering in college, I spent my college summers helping out at a youth education center. During my senior year of college, a close friend (who would one day be my wife) asked me what I would do as a career if I could do anything. This led to some honest thinking. I liked engineering, but I loved what I did during the summers–teaching and working with middle and high school students. This probably sounds cliché, but I loved and honestly still love the potential that educators have in making a positive difference in kids’ lives during some of their most formative years. I find it a great privilege and responsibility to be in such a position.
What appealed to you about joining BASIS Independent Brooklyn?
Two things appealed to me most about the school: its commitment to academic excellence and the school environment. The material that’s taught at BASIS Independent is at the highest levels of academic rigor that I’ve seen as an educator. But what’s more impressive is how effectively this challenging material is taught at the school and how students are encouraged and pushed to learn at their highest potential, which leads to the second thing that appealed to me…the school environment. I love that the school is committed to creating an environment where students feel valued and supported to think freely and creatively and, at the same time, are challenged to excel.
Tell us about some of your plans or priorities in the year ahead?
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the school leaders, teachers, and some families during the last few weeks and am very much looking forward to meeting the rest of the community. I’m especially excited to get to know the students! Teachers are, of course, fundamental to a school, and one of my main goals for this year is to support them in a way that allows them to further develop their craft as educators.
We understand you are not just a new member of school leadership, but you are also a parent at our school. What difference does that second perspective bring?
As a parent, I understand firsthand many of the hopes and concerns that parents have regarding their child’s education. Having such a perspective allows me to approach decision-making with a deeper understanding and sensitivity toward the potential effects the decisions will have on both students and their families.
Do you mind sharing a fun fact that families might not know about you?
My two daughters, Zoe and Isobel, love rollerblading, and since we recently moved to a place just a few blocks from Prospect Park, I decided to take up rollerblading again to join them on the trail. So, if you see a middle-aged Asian man with two girls rollerblading at the park, feel free to say hello…but only if he looks like he knows what he’s doing (if he looks like he has no business on rollerblades, please assume it’s not me and save me an embarrassing encounter!).
You just moved from New Jersey to Brooklyn. What are some of your favorite things about the borough so far?
THE FOOD! My family and I have really enjoyed trying new foods and restaurants. On the recommendation of one of our administrators, we found our favorite dessert spot in Brooklyn so far: Culture (frozen yogurt)! Besides the food, I love that we can walk everywhere! We’ve doubled our daily steps, which bodes well for us since we’ve probably doubled our calorie intake with all the good food!
BASIS Independent Brooklyn is a PreK–Grade 12 private school, providing students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings. Considering joining the Bears community? To join our interest list for the next school year and receive admissions updates and more,please click here.
We are thrilled to announce the college acceptances of our inaugural graduating class at BASIS Independent Manhattan! These outstanding results reflect their hard work, dedication, and pursuit of excellence. We are inspired by their achievements and proud to see them succeed.
A Pioneering Spirit Sets the Stage As Ms. LaNette Hodge, Head of School, reflects, “This is a truly significant milestone for BASIS Independent Manhattan. Many of these students joined us in the very first year we opened our doors. Witnessing their development and evolution throughout their 6th-12th grade experience has been truly rewarding. They are pioneers, setting a high standard for future BASIS Independent Manhattan graduates.”
College Enrollment Reflects Exceptional Achievements Here’s a glimpse into the impressive colleges our Class of 2024 will be calling home this fall (listed in order of commitment date):
Wesleyan University
Yale University
Duke University
University of Virginia (2 students)
Cornell University
Stanford University
University of California San Diego (UCSD)
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Lafayette College
Carnegie Mellon University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)
University of Colorado Boulder
(Full list of college acceptances will be included below.)
The statistics speak volumes about the caliber of this graduating class:
23% of students secured spots at top-10 ranked universities.
Over 62% received offers from institutions within the top 25 nationally and internationally, including prestigious names like Stanford, Yale, Duke, and the University of Virginia (three graduates this year!).
An impressive 92% gained acceptance to schools ranked in the top 50.
Remarkably, 100% were accepted to colleges within the top 75.
These statistics are reflected across the BASIS Independent Schools Network! Check out our blog highlighting the acceptances from our fellow campuses in Brooklyn, McLean, Silicon Valley, and Fremont. Read the blog: The Class of 2024 – Achieving New Heights and Redefining Success
A Journey of Self-Discovery and Opportunity Ms. Andie Abrams, College Counselor, shares her experience, “While we weren’t quite sure what to expect from our first graduating class, we are absolutely thrilled with their achievements. The students embraced the college application process early, focusing on self-discovery and finding schools that truly aligned with their goals. They celebrated every milestone, big and small, and I have no doubt that they are all well on their way to incredible success.”
We at BASIS Independent Manhattan are beyond proud of our Class of 2024 and their remarkable accomplishments. They are a testament to the power of a nurturing and rigorous academic environment, and we extend our heartfelt congratulations to them all! We can’t wait to see the amazing things they achieve in the years to come.
Full List of College Acceptances:
American University
Babson College
Boston University
Carnegie Mellon University
Cornell University
Denison University
Duke University
Elon University
Emory University (2)
Fordham University (2)
George Mason University
George Washington University (2)
James Madison University
Lafayette College
Lehigh University (2)
McGill University (2)
New York University
Northeastern University
Ohio State University, The
Pomona College
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2)
Rochester Institute of Technology (2)
Rutgers University
SUNY Albany
SUNY Binghamton
SUNY Stony Brook
Stanford University
University of California – Berkeley
University of California – Davis (2)
University of California – Irvine
University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA)
University of California – San Diego (3)
University of California – Santa Barbara
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Connecticut
University of Delaware
University of Indiana at Bloomington
University of Maryland, College Park
University of Massachusetts Amherst (2)
University of Rochester
University of Virginia
Washington University in St Louis
Wesleyan University
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (2)
Interested in learning more about our program and the Senior Year? We invite you to explore our website, visit our school, or contact our Admissions team to see if BASIS Independent Manhattan is the right fit for you.
BASIS Independent Manhattan, a private school offering PreK through Grade 12, is based in Manhattan, New York. Students thrive alongside Subject Expert Teachers as they engage in a liberal arts program with STEM offerings.
As we reflect on the first few weeks of school and successful Meet the Teacher events, we are eager to hear from our Head of School, LaNette Hodge. With her focused and intentional leadership style, she has spent the summer collaborating with her staff and crafting a set of core values to guide BASIS Independent Manhattan throughout the 2023-24 year.
Welcome back! This is quite an exciting year for you.
It is! We are so excited and fulfilled. I can say that because we are now a fully mature school with our first graduating class of seniors. It is such a privilege to be able to offer our families not only a comprehensive educational journey from PreK-12 but also a complete and consistent student experience.
I understand that you place great importance on mantras and setting intentions. As a thoughtful and visionary leader, what aspirations do you have for the upcoming school year?
Personally, my journey towards self-improvement is a constant pursuit, and I wake up every day with a purpose to serve others, which fills my heart with immense gratitude. The intentional efforts put in by our team to establish a culture of trust, respect, and pride at BASIS Independent Manhattan is something I take great pride in. This culture resonates in every aspect of our school’s operations, shaping the exceptional educational experience we provide.
While there are a number of goals that come to mind, I have three primary ones for achievement in the coming year, which I would love to share in more detail. I am sharing these goals with our community because I believe that transparency and communication are essential for building trust and success.
Goal #1: Alignment of Mission, Vision & Values
Over the summer, our team carefully created a mission statement that we use as our guide in our daily interactions with one another. I feel we have a renewed sense of teamwork now that allows us to promote a supportive culture of inclusion, equity, and agency.
That effort expands to encircle our school community in which teachers, students, parents, and staff build relationships of connectivity, collaboration, and belonging.
Goal #2: Staff Satisfaction
I am very proud to say that we had 84% retention at both our Lower and Upper Schools, and are currently fully staffed! That is an incredible accomplishment in the current landscape of education and hiring. Our leadership team has done a lot of important work to attract and retain the best and brightest faculty and staff.
Even with the high number of returning, experienced teachers and the addition of pedigreed new teachers to support our school’s growth, we are inspired to push even further. We do that by providing our staff with professional development opportunities and leadership initiatives in a diverse and equitable environment.
Heading from our summer teacher training into this school year, I also could see a renewed sense of collegiality, collaboration, and camaraderie. That kind of positivity spills into the classrooms, trickles down to the students, and is shared with families who then express their appreciation back to the teachers. It’s a beautiful and rewarding cycle.
Goal #3: Culture of Connection & Belonging
Another goal is to continue to build, promote, and foster a school culture of belonging and connectedness—where all students feel included, supported, valued, and respected. This is leading to improved academic achievement and social-emotional well-being. Beyond the student experience, we also encourage a school community culture where affirmation, collaboration, and partnerships thrive and are the valued norm.
That all sounds great, but how do you do it?
Our collaborative leadership approach is helping us to achieve our goals by fostering communication and collaboration across all levels of the school community. We now have an Associate Head of School at the Lower and Upper School campuses, which creates an aligned and supportive foundation. We also have shared office space where we work closely every day, which:
promotes cross-functional school collaboration
facilitates feedback and decision-making efficiency, and
allows us to anticipate and respond to the needs of our students, teachers, or parents
Our success is evident in the positive experiences our families are having and the enthusiastic recommendations they are sharing with their families, friends, and colleagues. It is truly remarkable to witness the increased number of admissions applications we have received in PreK, kindergarten, grade 6, and grade 9 – the traditional entry points for our school. This growth is a testament to the thriving Wildcat school community we are building, and I am eagerly looking forward to the incredible achievements that await us this year, especially with our exceptional Class of 2024!
