September 11, 2014 Dear Friends, How Wonderful It Was to See So
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September 11, 2014 Dear Friends, How wonderful it was to see so many of you at Back-To-School Night! Indeed, it is our partnership that makes the difference and keeps us focused on our common goal – educating your children to lead and serve. Great teaching, the heart and soul of a great school, has long been a hallmark of a Lower School education. Indeed, it is our “mission in action” each and every day. The Lower School faculty is among the most capable, the most competent and the most compassionate of any team with whom I have ever served. Their commitment to each other and to your children is second to none. They are actively engaged in living out Goal II – a deep respect for intellectual values, as planners of a rigorous academic program, as practitioners inspired by growth and change and, as servant leaders. But what is teaching? How do great educators discover and live out their passion? How do we search for, hire and grow great teachers at Stone Ridge? “The key to building a faculty is to always hire those that are brighter and more capable than you are!” Such was the wise counsel that I was offered by a mentor in my early years as a school leader and I believe it is key to building a great team. Taking that recommendation one step further, Jim Collins, in his classic text, Good to Great (2001), offers this advice, “get the right people on the right seats on the bus and keep them there.” At Stone Ridge, we are committed to doing just that. Our search for new team members is as purposeful as it is reflective. When a colleague chooses to retire, explore another employment opportunity or relocate, we see this as an opportunity to look again at the bus, the seat assignments, our needs and those of your children. The process involves the posting of open assignments on local, network and national websites, engaging a trained search committee to evaluate applications and a series of on-campus interviews and demonstration lessons. When candidates visit, we enjoy extensive conversations and ask them many questions including: Why are you seeking a job change? Why would you like to come to Stone Ridge? What is the difference between directing children’s learning and facilitating it? How can a teacher help children grow intellectually and emotionally? What do you consider to be your chief accomplishment in one of your previous positions? Do you think the parent-teacher relationship is important? How would a previous supervisor describe you? What unique talents and gifts can you bring to our community? From start to finish, the process is a comprehensive one and, without exception, the results can be found in the faces of our newest colleagues, the list of whom was included in my letter of last week. As I mentioned, each of those new team members was asked to compose a brief, professional biography. Below are two of these and other new faculty and staff members will follow in subsequent letters. I do hope you enjoy getting to know these amazing people as I have! In addition to introducing our new colleagues, I will take time in the coming weeks to keep you abreast of all that we do to sustain our work for your children, for ours is a passion that we are careful to nurture and grow. I wish you a wonderful weekend. Warmly, Scott W.C. Lawrence Head of Lower School Faculty Bios Amanda Allman – Grade Three While I am new to Stone Ridge, I am proud to say that I have Sacred Heart roots! I am a graduate of Convent of the Sacred Heart in Greenwich, CT. My eight years there were marked by incredibly caring faculty and friends, meaningful academics and service, and time for spiritual growth and reflection. This experience inspired me to return to the Network of Sacred Heart schools, in hopes that I can provide the next generation with that same “atmosphere of wise freedom,” within a community overflowing with love and compassion. I received my undergraduate degree from Georgetown University (Hoya Saxa!). I completed my Masters in Education at Manhattanville College. I previously taught at Brunswick School, an all-boys private school in Greenwich. There, I developed my love of elementary education, surrounded by the enthusiasm, creativity, and joy that characterize young learners. When I’m not teaching, I enjoy running and watching sports. I’m a big fan of the Mets, NY Giants, and, of course, the Georgetown Hoyas. My March Madness brackets always have Georgetown as National Champions, no matter how slim the odds. I feel blessed to return to the Sacred Heart community. The values of Sacred Heart education played a formative role in my own upbringing. Therefore, I can think of no better place to be an educator. Even in my brief time at Stone Ridge, I can see what a truly special place this is. I feel privileged to work with your girls this school year and look forward to a great one! Carla Nally - Preschool When Mr. Lawrence called to tell me that I was being offered a teaching position in the Lower School at Stone Ridge, it was hard to contain my excitement and sound very poised on the phone. I am very excited to join the Stone Ridge community. It is a happy and nurturing environment comprised of passionate educators and enthusiastic students. I was born in Santiago, Chile to an Italian and French family. I speak Spanish and Italian, and still hope to master French one day. My mother’s work with the World Bank brought our family to Washington, DC when I was in elementary school. I grew up in Potomac, Maryland and graduated from Connelly School of the Holy Child. I earned my B.A. from Dickinson College in 2008. During college, my sorority nickname in Pi Beta Phi was “Green Card,” but I think my love of Social Studies paid off because I aced my naturalization test this past May! I developed an eclectic resume before realizing that teaching was my passion, and spent time living and working in Italy, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. I taught at Woods Academy, in Bethesda, and worked for Superintendent Dr. Joshua Starr at MCPS in Rockville, before attending graduate school last year. I earned my MS.Ed in Literacy from the University of Pennsylvania. It feels nice to be home again! In my free time I enjoy going to the movies, especially to Bethesda Row because I like independent and foreign language films. I have two adopted rescue dogs; while I don’t have room for more animals, I do sometimes peruse the Humane Society website and think about how I will go about buying a farm by a beach in order to house more pets. I love sunshine, laughing, singing my sentences, and frozen peanut M&Ms. .