THE WHITE MOUNTAIN SCHOOL Bethlehem, New Hampshire

ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR COMMUNITY, EQUITY, AND BELONGING Start Date: July 1, 2021 whitemountain.org Mission We are a school of inquiry and engagement. Grounded in our Episcopal heritage, we prepare and inspire students to lead lives of curiosity, courage, and compassion.

OVERVIEW

Founded in 1886 and perfectly situated on the edge of the White Mountain National Forest of northern New Hampshire, The White Mountain School is a gender-inclusive college-preparatory boarding and day school for 140 students in grades 9-12 and postgraduate. With inquiry and engagement at the forefront, students at White Mountain have the opportunity to focus on finding their passions and excelling academically through a strong college preparatory curriculum, supportive relationships with faculty and staff, and a variety of unique programs.

Grounded in an Episcopal heritage, White Mountain prepares and inspires students to lead lives of curiosity, courage, and compassion. With students from 25 states, 15 countries, and all walks of life—as well as an institutional commitment to equity and inclusion—White Mountain strives to be an affirming home where everyone has the ability to fully access the School’s mission as their fully authentic self. Intentionally small in size, White Mountain is a place where the word “community” has profound meaning. Students have the opportunity to search for and build common ground with their peers while they pursue an education that feels relevant.

The School seeks an Assistant Head of School for Community, Equity, and Belonging effective July 2021. The Assistant Head will work with the administration, faculty, and students to ensure that diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the center of the student experience, and are the basis for social emotional learning at the School. In alignment with the School’s mission, the Assistant Head will plan and execute on new and existing organizational-wide DEI initiatives, professional development sessions, policies, and systems to foster inclusivity, diversity, and equity across campus. As a member of the administrative team, the Assistant Head must be passionate about DEI work and be a strategic leader who will work to strengthen and build holistic strategy for student growth at White Mountain.

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 2 Fast Facts Founded: 1886 Total students: 140 Boarding students: 80% Students of color: 34 domestic, 19 international Total faculty: 33 Faculty of color: 2 Faculty with advanced degrees: 63% Student/teacher ratio: 5:1 Students receiving financial aid: 48%

SCHOOL HISTORY

The White Mountain School was founded in 1886 as St. Mary’s School, an Episcopal school for girls, by The Rt. Rev. William Niles, Bishop of New Hampshire. Opening its doors in Concord, New Hampshire, St. Mary’s School welcomed eight boarders, 14 day students, and six teachers. Nearly 50 years later, the School’s inspired Headmistress, Dorothy E. McLane, outlined her plan to move the School to the White Mountains. “Aunt Dot,” a firm believer in the importance of academic and athletic challenge, as well as a lover of the outdoors, held the 50th Commencement exercises of St. Mary’s-in-the-Mountains at the newly purchased “Seven Springs Estate,” formerly owned by Eman and Mary Payne Beck in Bethlehem, New Hampshire. The School was renamed The White Mountain School in 1972.

THE SCHOOL

The School’s mountain location has a profound influence on how the community learns together. In this setting, where the students are “surrounded by things greater than ourselves,” they develop both humility and vision. They learn to connect with a purpose beyond themselves and are inspired to explore more broadly, to think more deeply, and to experience the fullness of life. The mountain setting also allows students to explore and excel in unique outdoor sports offerings.

The White Mountain School is a tightly-knit community built on relationships. Because of its size, teachers and students forge deep relationships that often last a lifetime. Teachers and students intersect throughout the day in multiple dimensions; from dorm life to work jobs, from the extra-curricular programs to the classroom. In the community, no student is invisible, and each one contributes to the well-being of the group.

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 3 As an Episcopal school, White Mountain honors and celebrates the unique worth of each individual. Students of all faiths are welcomed and encouraged to grow in their own understanding of spirituality. While formal practice of religion is modest (the Chaplain leads an ecumenical Morning Reading once a week), informal practice is expansive. The School’s Episcopal heritage inspires a commitment to community service (local and international), informs relationships to the natural world, and is why White Mountain has always been a school that respects each student as an individual with unique talents and passions.

The White Mountain School is accredited by New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and is a proud member of National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES), The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS), Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE), Independent Schools Association of Northern New England (ISANNE), The Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education (CSEE), The Independent Curriculum Group (ICG), and Secondary School Admission Test Board (SSATB).

ACADEMICS

Student-driven inquiry is embraced as the driving philosophy behind the School’s approach to teaching and learning. Through close relationships with teachers, students are encouraged to boldly pursue new and interesting lines of thinking and are pushed and inspired to live and grow into their creative and intellectual potential. While aligned with a college preparatory curriculum, courses extend beyond the classroom and into the world around. Faculty teach here because they truly want to share their lives and passions with young people. It’s this balance of rigor and relevance that prepares students for college and, ultimately, for lives beyond formal academics.

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 4 College Acceptances

The following is an abbreviated list of recent college acceptances:

Bowdoin College Brandeis University Bucknell University Clarkson University Colby College Colgate University Columbia University Cornell University Denison University Earlham College Elon University Florida State University Hobart and William Smith Colleges Johns Hopkins University The White Mountain School offers more than 50 academic courses, ranging from introductory to Lehigh University Advanced Placement level. Students complete Mount Holyoke College coursework in English, history, mathematics, philosophy New York University and religious studies, science, sustainability studies, visual and performing arts, and world languages. In Northeastern University addition, all students complete an independent project Pennsylvania State University through the LASR program (Leadership, Arts, Service, Savannah College of Art and Design or “traditional” academic Research) and complete two Field Courses per year. Field Courses demonstrate the Sewanee: The University of the School’s commitment to learning outside the classroom. South Students at White Mountain immerse themselves in a Syracuse University week-long, off-campus Field Course each semester. These unique experiences allow in-depth, academic University of Denver exploration of a specific topic in an authentic setting. University of Maine To provide students with the opportunity to engage in University of New Hampshire a different type of global educational experience, the School is a member of Global Online Academy (GOA), a University of Rochester consortium of leading independent schools from around University of Vermont the world. GOA provides White Mountain students the Yale University chance to think and learn with students from some of the best independent schools from around the world.

As a college preparatory school, the college process begins as soon as students set foot on campus. While students are welcome to work with the College Counselor at any time, students formally begin in their Junior year.

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 5 The philosophy of the college counseling program is based on the principles that discovering good matches between students and post-secondary institutions is what the college admission process is all about, and that the colleges best suited for students are the ones that will challenge and nurture their academic and social maturation.

ARTS AND ATHLETICS

As the top boarding school in New England, the visual and performing arts are an integral part of student life at The White Mountain School, demonstrating that art and creativity contribute to individual growth while nurturing an aesthetic awareness within the School and society. In addition to extensive course offerings, (dance, music, theater, studio art, ceramics, photography, and Advanced Placement options in visual art), all students are encouraged to use open studio time in the afternoons and evenings, practice in the student music room, participate in afternoon theater productions, dance in the afternoons or evenings, and attend both on and off campus art experiences. Thanks to the School’s incomparable setting in the White Mountains, there is a thriving community of artists of all kinds on campus and in the surrounding New England communities just minutes from campus.

At White Mountain, every student plays and every student becomes an integral part of the team. Athletics and outdoor activities are essential to the development of students, and all are required to participate in a sport or afternoon activity of their choosing. Students have the opportunity to select one sport or activity per season, regardless of grade-level or previous athletic experience or training.

Diverse co-curricular offerings allow students the flexibility to focus on a favorite sport or try something new within a safe and supportive atmosphere. Options include the All-Mountain Program (AMP) for skiing and snowboarding, cross country, cycling, dance, freestyle skiing, ice climbing, lacrosse, mountain biking, rock climbing, soccer, sport climbing, theater, and whitewater kayaking. Other activities include CARNEYSANDOE.COM 6 the Farm and Forest program where students learn how to manage the School’s 1.5-acre organic farm and maintain the five miles of trails on campus and the adjacent land. Students who choose theater for their sport have the opportunity to have fun playing around in acting games and improvisation.

STUDENT LIFE

The White Mountain School community supports a dynamic life of activities and opportunities for engagement outside the classroom. Students can join any number of clubs or be engaged with formal activities in areas of interest to them. There are opportunities for all students to participate and to lead a huge variety of clubs and activities, and students may launch an activity that is not already offered. Clubs and activities include Astronomy Club, Citizenship Committee, Ink and Paper (literary and arts magazine), Multi-Cultural Diversity Club, Photography Club, Robotics Team, Student Council, Sustainability Club, and Yearbook, to name a few.

Students can also participate in an amazing diversity of recurrent or one-time activities offered throughout the year. These can be on-campus events like ultimate frisbee, bread baking in faculty kitchens, or all- school dances. Students may also choose from a huge number of off-campus trips, ranging from simple excursions to the movies or to get Thai food all the way to weekend-long trips to go whitewater rafting or to visit Montreal.

The fact that the School set in the breathtaking White Mountains allows the Outdoor Education Department to further the mission of the School by enhancing students’ relationships with the natural, human, physical, and spiritual environments that surround them. Through Field Courses and extended outdoors trips, students are aided in nurturing a love for the outdoors, gaining first aid and backcountry skills, and developing healthy small-group dynamics and leadership abilities. To kick off fall semester, all students and faculty embark on a three-day, two-night trip during the first week of school. CARNEYSANDOE.COM 7 Rooted in the School’s Episcopal heritage, service to the school community, the local towns, and the greater world is a major component of every White Mountain School education. One hundred percent of students and faculty participate in some form of service on a regular basis. Each spring the School also takes a day to make greater contributions to local organizations as a whole school community. Community Service Day sends organized groups of faculty and students to many different local groups to assist with everything from outdoor spring clean-up work, to planting and harvesting vegetables, to playing with children at a day care center.

Living intentionally in a small supportive community allows students to truly feel like The White Mountain School is a home away from home. Boarding students live in one of four dorms with their peers, faculty members, and faculty families. Faculty doors are very often open and their apartments can feel like an extension of the dorm. This accessibility is one of the hallmarks of what makes the community special. On weekends, faculty offer a range of activities that students can sign up for, such as moonlight hikes, ski trips, shopping trips to outlet centers, or art excursions to movies and plays. Day students are welcome to be as active in the school community as boarders are.

Advisors become an integral part of their advisees lives and success on campus. Advisors make every effort to know the academic and athletic lives of their advisees and strive to cultivate an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect in which students can openly discuss their successes and their concerns.

CAMPUS

The School’s 250-acre campus is set in the beautiful White Mountains of New Hampshire just over two hours from Boston, in an area that has historically attracted tourists and outdoor enthusiasts. At the heart of campus is the McLane building, which has new classroom space, the Dining Hall, the student

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 8 lounge, and administrative offices, and McGoldrick Library & Research Center, an open, airy, and vibrant learning commons with space for research, independent study, and small group discussion that supports the School’s academic focus on student-drive inquiry.

The Fred Steele Science Building, built in 2006, was designed as a net-zero energy use facility. It is outfitted with four well-equipped classroom laboratories, science faculty offices, a solar energy system, and composting toilets.

The Catherine Houghton Arts Center (CHAC) opened in January 2014. It houses dance, music, and visual arts studios, along with recording studios and an outdoor amphitheater. The building is also designed to have net-zero energy use through a geothermal heating and cooling system and a rooftop solar array. The WMS Theater is home to theatrical productions including student-written and directed plays.

The White Mountain School’s impressive fitness center includes a basketball court, weight training machines, and a 3,000-square-foot climbing wall.

The School’s farm includes fruit trees, raspberry and blueberry bushes, vegetables upon vegetables, and a chicken coop. Students in the Farm and Forest afterschool program help take care of the farm and harvest produce for the community.

The campus also includes Lovejoy Chapel for morning meetings, presentations, community events, and performances, and a swimming hole, trails for hiking, mountain biking, and running, and Hood’s Hill—the perfect place for sledding.

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 9 BETHLEHEM, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Bethlehem is nestled in the beautiful White Mountains, surrounded by National Forests and pristine natural beauty, just North of Franconia Notch. Bethlehem truly is the “Star of the White Mountains.” The town, although teeming with history, retains its small-town village flavor. With a strong sense of community, Bethlehem offers old-fashioned festivals, outdoor concerts, ongoing art shows and live musical performances, amazing antique shopping, and beautiful inns and bed and breakfasts all nestled within a quaint downtown village.

Bethlehem residents enjoy an outstanding quality of life. The town offers clean, fresh air and an unparalleled array of outdoor recreational activities in a safe, small-town community environment. There are ample opportunities to meet neighbors and friends in a variety of settings. The town offers a superb destination for shopping, outdoor sports, and other activities and provides an ideal home base for visits to the many nearby White Mountain attractions. Popular excursions include riding the Cog Railway to Mt. Washington, alpine skiing at Cannon Mountain or Bretton Woods, or cross-country skiing on numerous area trails. There are also two local golf courses, opportunities to fish in Franconia Notch, bike the trails, hike, climb, or enjoy camping in the White Mountain National Forest.

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

Opportunities: • Managing a programmatic budget for Community Life programming and professional education. • The ability to design co-curricular programming and to develop the assessments to measure success. • The opportunity to join a senior leadership team that is looking for a collaborative thought partner to help them take the next step in their DEIJ work.

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 10 Challenges: • Leading the work of DEIJ in an inaugural full-time senior leadership role. • Managing a portfolio of professional responsibilities at a small boarding school. • Helping a school deepen its DEIJ work in all phases of school life.

DESIRED QUALITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS

• A collaborative problem-solver and systems-thinker. • A strong desire to lead professional learning opportunities concerning DEIJ issues. • An effective communicator who can bring diverse thought communities together. • A strategic thinker with strong implementation skills. • An entrepreneurial drive.

TO APPLY

Interested and qualified candidates are invited to contact the consultants in confidence. Candidates will ultimately need to submit the following materials as separate PDF documents:

• A cover letter expressing their interest in this particular position; • A current résumé; • A one-page statement of leadership philosophy and practice; • A list of five professional references with name, relationship, phone number, and email address of each (references will not be contacted without the candidate’s permission) to:

Lawrence Alexander Jess Roberson Search Consultant Search Associate [email protected] [email protected] CARNEYSANDOE.COM 11