Rumsey Hall School Head of School Position Statement
Washington, Connecticut July 1, 2021 RUMSEY HALL SCHOOL
Head of School ~ July 1, 2021
THE PLACE/OVERVIEW
Welcome to a place where childhood is preserved; where there is a culture of caring for each individual child; where there is a long history of deep values and a spirit of community; where children are encouraged to try new things and take risks. This school gives children the space to build confidence and meets the needs of all students by planning for how each child will succeed. Much of this school’s success is because of the strong faculty-student rela onships that form over me. Those transforma ve rela onships o en last long past the student’s me at the School. Welcome to Rumsey Hall School!
Rumsey Hall is located on a gorgeous campus with ideal facili es for a deeply commi ed faculty and LOCATION junior day and boarding school staff to meet the needs of their serving students in Kindergarten students. As one parent indicated, Rumsey Hall is located in the town through grade 9. The School “Rumsey Hall is a life-changing of Washington, Connec cut in maintains a talented, mo vated and experience.” beau ful Litchfield County. Farms, rolling hills, panoramic vistas, quiet country roads and historic colonial architecture are signatures of the region and indeed exist at the School. Rumsey Hall is overflowing with quintessen al New England ambiance. Here one can maintain both a small-town lifestyle and a rich and vibrant culture. Rumsey Hall is surrounded by several well-known New England boarding schools. Washington consists of five quaint villages: Marbledale, New Preston, Washington Green, Washington Depot and Woodville. The town is desirable for a quiet year-round lifestyle and as a getaway from the big city. Rumsey Hall is less than two hours from New York City.
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MISSION AND CORE VALUES Mission: Rumsey Hall School is commi ed to a whole-child approach to educa on and believes that teaching academics and teaching an a tude of mind are of equal importance. The School emphasizes effort as a criterion for success and is dedicated to helping each child develop toward his or her maximum stature as an educated person, a successful member of the family, and a contribu ng member of a community.
Core Values: Honesty, Kindness and Respect are not only Rumsey Hall’s core values but also their culture.
FAST FACTS Faculty: 59 full and part me 27 men 32 women 40 live on campus
Enrollment: (2019-2020) 318 Students 29 Local Communi es 15 States 12 Countries 83 Lower School Students 243 Upper School Students 129 Boarding Students 106 Day Students
Campus: 32 Buildings 230 Acres Campus valued at $60 million
Endowment: $27.5 million
Annual Fund: $900,000 (2019-2020)
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THE OPPORTUNITY that was interrupted by Covid-19 veterans, were given li le and the changes to leadership. The mentorship or support to develop Rumsey Hall has huge poten al. As Strategic Planning Commi ee their own leadership capabili es, one trustee put it, “Rumsey Hall made meaningful progress, but leaving a void in several areas. has great bones!” The next head acknowledges that much remains Rumsey Hall has been somewhat will have a fantas c opportunity to to be done. A more sophis cated insular over the years, almost move the School forward, create approach to marke ng is among exclusively promo ng growth, and work with a terrific the strategic priori es going administrators from within. While group of women and men within forward. In order to remain viable this has contributed to a strong the administra on, faculty and staff in a compe ve environment, culture among other benefits, it who are deeply commi ed to the Rumsey Hall must work to cra a has also limited exposure to success of the students in their clear iden ty and message to independent school best prac ces care. All of this takes place on a prospec ve families, especially for that have evolved over the last fabulous campus, located in a domes c and interna onal decade or so. Rumsey Hall School gorgeous New England se ng. The boarders. Other priori es include a presents a fantas c opportunity experienced team of thorough and long overdue for an experienced, confident, administrators, faculty and staff curriculum review, and increased transparent, and collabora ve look forward to welcoming a new a en on to issues of diversity, leader to take a school built on a leader who can balance cherished equity and inclusion. solid founda on and truly make it tradi ons with best prac ces in great. The Board of Trustees is independent schools. The School has been run for many poised and excited to support a decades with a tradi onal, top- new head of school and help Rumsey Hall commenced a down leadership style. The exis ng Rumsey Hall move forward. strategic planning process last year, administra ve team, while
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THE PROGRAM
The Lower School at Rumsey Hall is focused on educa ng the whole child with an inquiry- based program that meets the needs of each child in Kindergarten through Fi h Grade. Each child a ends classes in English, reading, math, science, and social studies. In addi on, music, art, foreign languages, language skills, health, physical educa on, library and informa onal literacy are incorporated into every child’s program. Lunch is served family-style. Play is cherished in the Lower School with much of that taking place in an incredible outdoor environment on campus. Students par cipate in a ernoon enrichment programs un l 4:30 each a ernoon.
Upper School students (Grades 6-9) pursue a balanced curriculum that includes math, science, English, foreign language, history, art and music. The Upper School introduces boarding on the campus serving domes c and interna onal students. Boarders and day students engage in a variety of fulfilling learning experiences that help shape character and increase confidence and independence as well as prepara on for secondary schools. Strong effort is a hallmark of the Rumsey ethos and students receive effort grades based on class involvement, extra credit projects and submi ng homework. The effort list is designed to help students develop internal mo va on, build confidence and lay the founda on of achievement in academics and success in other areas of life. Upper School co- curricular ac vi es include visual and performing arts, a STEAM lab, graphic design and robo cs.
The language skills department offers individualized programs designed to meet the needs of students with moderate learning differences. The program is customized to reflect student-specific needs, strengths and
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weekends. There are many tradi ons including holiday and birthday celebra ons and inter- dorm compe ons. Weekends offer the opportunity for fun on-campus ac vi es as well as trips to local a rac ons and to Har ord, Boston, New York City.
Rumsey Hall’s wooded campus provides many opportuni es for outdoor educa on. Rumsey Outdoor Adventure (ROA) includes opportuni es for hiking, kayaking, rock climbing, low ropes course, canoeing, archery and learning wilderness skills.
The School’s mission emphasizes educa ng its students to become contribu ng members of the interests. This program is scheduled Residen al life at Rumsey Hall is community. Through a variety of during the academic day and vibrant, ac ve and in mate. Students hands-on experiences, students provides one-on-one instruc on five reside in small, comfortable develop interpersonal life skills days a week. The School also offers dormitories and are supervised by while posi vely impac ng the English as a second language (ESL), dorm parents who treat them like people and organiza ons they help. made up of three courses designed family. In addi on to enjoying a The Community Service/Service to help students develop their suppor ve home-like atmosphere, Learning Program also acts to enrich conversa onal and academic English, boarding students partake in varied a sense of awareness, compassion reading comprehension, and wri ng ac vi es during the week and on and self-efficacy in Rumsey Hall skills. students.
Rumsey Hall offers more than 30 interscholas c athle c teams. Everyone has the chance to play, whether they have played the sport before or are trying it for the very first me. Coaches are all members of the faculty and their goal is to teach the game, help each student improve and foster an environment that emphasizes effort, teamwork and sportsmanship. Athle c facili es include several fields, mul ple gyms, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, and a state-of-the-art indoor hockey rink.
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GOVERNANCETHE POSITION Rumsey Hall has a volunteer board The School seeks an energetic, of trustees with 18 members. This purposeful and accomplished Dean of group cares deeply about the School Children’s Programs/Head of School for and is commi ed to its con nued Children to partner with the President of success. There’s a balanced mix of the Bank Street College of Education and trustees represen ng parents, past his cabinet in building upon the School’s parents, alumni and friends of the history and reputation for providing a School.well-rounded and excellent educational experience. This dean will also work closely with the Dean of the Graduate STRENGTHS OF THE School to ensure a solid foundation between the schools and purposely SCHOOLfurther the effectiveness of current and The new Head of School will benefit future Bank Street program strengths from Rumsey Hall’s many strengths, and offerings. This is an exciting including:opportunity for a new leader to embrace all that Bank Street stands for, to § continue its 100+year legacy as a leader A long history and a strong and innovator in progressive education, reputa on for preparing § Faculty and staff who § A dedicated parent to propel social justice and equity students well for the are caring, hard- community that strongly initiatives, and to share with others a academic rigors of some of working, and supports the School’s vision for its development, growth and New England’s most commi ed to mee ng mission and philosophy; effective and sustained service to the compe ve independent the needs and success larger community and world. The Family day and boarding schools; of all Rumsey students; § A spectacular se ng with Center, an inclusive early childhood facili es that are program for children ages 6 months purpose-built to meet through 5 years, and Summer Camp also the needs of day and fall under the Dean’s responsibilities. boarding students in Kindergarten through 9th THE HISTORY Grade; Bank Street College of Education was § ESL and learning support founded in 1916 in New York City by programs that allow the visionary educator Lucy Sprague Mitchell School to effec vely as The Bureau of Education Experiments serve a wide range of (BBE), a laboratory nursery school, students; staffed by teachers, psychologists, and researchers who worked collaboratively § A healthy financial to discover the environments in which posi on and governance children grew and learned to their full structure that allows the potential and to educate teachers on how School to be confident to create and sustain these environments about long-term in and out of the classroom. The School sustainability and the for Children began with its first class in opportuni es for 1954 and gradually expanded to include improvement. children ages 3 through 13.
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OPPORTUNITIES AND THE POSITION § Ensure that Rumsey has QUALIFICATIONS AND efficient and effec ve CHALLENGESThe School seeks an energetic, management systems QUALITIES OF THE NEXT purposeful and accomplished Dean of informed by best prac ce; HEAD OF SCHOOL The next Head of Rumsey Hall Children’s Programs/Head of School for School should be prepared to work Children to partner with the President of § Preserve the sense of A successful candidate will be able in partnership with the Board, the Bank Street College of Education and community among the to demonstrate the following skills, faculty, staff, and administra on to: his cabinet in building upon the School’s adults on campus and values, and experiences: history and reputation for providing a culture that values the § Clearly ar culate the well-rounded and excellent educational faculty, staff, and § Understanding of best School’s vision and value experience. This dean will also work administra on’s reless prac ce in independent proposi on internally and closely with the Dean of the Graduate commitment to students, schools and the ability to externally; School to ensure a solid foundation each other, and the School; build systems for the between the schools and purposely effec ve and efficient § Preserve Rumsey’s strong further the effectiveness of current and § Successfully leverage opera ons of the School; culture of caring for each future Bank Street program strengths Rumsey’s unique loca on, child and cul va ng a safe and offerings. This is an exciting outstanding facili es, and § A team builder who leads and loving community that opportunity for a new leader to embrace commi ed faculty and staff from the front, empowers focuses on effort as well as all that Bank Street stands for, to to ensure the School’s others to grow and lead in success; continue its 100+year legacy as a leader ability to deliver on its their areas, and holds and innovator in progressive education, mission. people accountable; § Raise the School’s external to propel social justice and equity profile to ensure long-term initiatives, and to share with others a sustainability through vision for its development, growth and robust fundraising, effective and sustained service to the marke ng, and enrollment larger community and world. The Family management;Center, an inclusive early childhood program for children ages 6 months § Evaluate the program to through 5 years, and Summer Camp also ensure that academic fall under the Dean’s responsibilities. excellence is at the center and is preparing graduates THE HISTORY to succeed in compe ve secondary schools;Bank Street College of Education was founded in 1916 in New York City by § Establish comprehensive visionary educator Lucy Sprague Mitchell systems for goal se ng and as The Bureau of Education Experiments evalua on, ed to (BBE), a laboratory nursery school, professional growth;staffed by teachers, psychologists, and researchers who worked collaboratively § Improve internal to discover the environments in which communica on and children grew and learned to their full collabora on between potential and to educate teachers on how divisions and departments to create and sustain these environments of the School and external in and out of the classroom. The School communica on with all for Children began with its first class in cons tuents;1954 and gradually expanded to include children ages 3 through 13.
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§ A strong founda on in academic program development and evalua on;
§ Embracing of the 24/7 nature of a junior boarding school;
§ A hands-on leader, well- grounded in the daily life of school, who appreciates the joys of leading a K-9 day and boarding school, understands the importance of being connected and present, wants to get to know every child and parent, and who can call every dog on campus by name; APPLICATION PROCESS § Effec ve manager and systems thinker who knows Rumsey Hall School has retained the firm Resource Group 175 to best prac ce and has the support its search for its next Head of School. If you wish to submit experience to set clear your applica on materials (which include a resume, cover le er, expecta ons and standards and educa onal philosophy), please do so at the resource Group for accountability; 175 website: § Empathe c leader who is h ps://rg175.com/candidate/signup warm and approachable; Deadline to apply: October 5, 2020 § Strong communica on skills with the ability to inspire For inquiries or if you would like to nominate a candidate for this others with Rumsey Hall’s posi on, please contact both of the Resource Group 175 story and vision for the consultants working with Rumsey Hall School: future;
§ Excellent recruiter, John Farber supporter, and evaluator of [email protected] faculty, staff, and administra on; AND
§ Ability to inspire others with Tony Featherston op mism, compassion, [email protected] commitment, and vision.
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