Dear Parents:
Spring is the time when we lift our heads after a long winter and look forward to warmer weather and longer days. It is also a time at school to reflect on the progress we have made as a community. Often this is most evident when we look at our children. In our youngest students, it might be seen in their social development or when the light bulb goes off and they become fluent readers. For older children, it might be demonstrated in their understanding and accepting of personal responsibility-completing a project that seemed too difficult in the beginning, but through determination, support and perseverance they reach another academic milestone. For our eighth graders, they are finalizing their secondary school decisions, and making the choice of several wonderful opportunities for the next part of their lives.
And then there is the work and progress that isn't so noticeable. While the faculty is busy teaching and guiding your children, they are also involved with curriculum development. Over the past three years, we have created and developed a group of faculty to serve as department heads working together to lead the faculty in providing an exceptional academic program. Over the course of the last two years, the teachers have been mapping their curricula, and reviewing the scope and sequence of the coursework, making sure that we minimize gaps and redundancies.
Currently, we have been using this information to do a thorough review of the curriculum in order to make recommendations for next year. Additionally, we have used the Trustees statement on a multicultural community as a guide to ensure that what we are teaching will best prepare the children to be active citizens and leaders in the 21st Century. The department heads and faculty, guided by Assistant Head of School, Chris Gorycki, and Lower School Head, Susan Marotta, have largely completed the process as of the February in-service and have made recommendations that we are processing for next year. We anticipate that this will have an impact on the schedule, and we will make the appropriate adjustments so that we can be ready to begin implementing the recommendations in the fall of 2008. It has been an exciting process.
In 1988, Montgomery School had a new program in Chester Springs, a seventy-three year old mission, and many dreams of what success would look like. Today we reflect that vision with a mission-driven school, a wonderful community of children and parents, exceptional teachers, and a remarkable campus. In the fall, we will celebrate our twenty years in Chester Springs. The evidence of the culmination of all of the work of the School community, this year and for the last twenty, makes us realize how fortunate our children are to have such wonderful guidance and support in establishing the foundations of their lives, lives firmly rooted in the three tenets of the Montgomery School mission: Mind, Body, and Character.
On another note, I am sad and excited to let you know that Director of Admission, Amber Keppler, her husband, Matt, and daughter Ava, will be moving to The Hague, Netherlands in June. Amber has been at Montgomery since 2002, four years as a 2nd grade teacher, a year in the preschool and as an Admission Assistant, and this year as Director of Admission. In all that she has done, she has been extraordinary. She will be deeply missed at Montgomery School. Please join me in wishing her and her family well on their wonderful adventure. Don't forget to tell her we would love to have her back when she returns to the States.
Our search for a Director of Admission is well underway. Many of you may have seen it posted on our website. We are currently interviewing finalists, and hope to have a decision by early May. I will keep you posted.
Until then, enjoy this lovely weather.
Sincerely,
Kevin R. Conklin, Head of School