FAY SCHOOL Southborough,

HEAD OF LOWER SCHOOL Start Date: July 2021 fayschool.org Mission Fay School nurtures each child’s potential through a broad, balanced, and challenging program that establishes the foundation for a meaningful life.

OVERVIEW

The foundation for a meaningful life begins at Fay School. Fay serves 475 students in Kindergarten through grade nine, including 150 boarding students in grades seven through nine. While the School has grown and evolved since its founding in 1866, its central purpose has remained constant. Fay’s broad and challenging program empowers students to discover their talents, develop their intellectual abilities, establish essential academic skills and knowledge, and define their moral character—all essential to living a life of meaning and making a positive difference in the world.

Fay believes strongly in its foundational role; this simple yet powerful concept has guided the School over time and remains at the heart of Fay’s identity. The dedicated faculty are experts in equipping students with the essential tools that will facilitate their success in secondary school and beyond: strong academic skills, a spirit of inquiry, cross-cultural competence, creativity, poise, empathy, and resilience. In Fay’s Lower School, a rich array of academics, arts, athletics, and other activities fosters a love for learning and a commitment to excellence. Classrooms are filled with joyful students who find joy in striving to be their best selves and thrive in a web of supportive faculty, coaches, and advisors. When Fay students graduate, they are well prepared for the challenges of secondary school and beyond.

Starting in July 2021, Fay seeks a Head of Lower School (Grades 3-6) to oversee all aspects of Lower School programs and activities, with a focus on student life, student conduct, and discipline. This position requires several essential talents and skills: the ability to establish an appropriate vision, positive tone, and clear expectations for Lower School faculty and students; the ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues, including the Head of School, senior administrators, and other members of the faculty and staff; the ability to communicate with parents in a clear and timely manner; and the ability to supervise and support faculty in meeting standards of excellence in teaching, advising, reporting, and parent communication.

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 2 Fast Facts Founded: 1866 Total students: 475 Lower School students: 125 Students of color: 36% (with 70% of total students reporting) Lower School faculty: 14 Faculty with advanced degrees: 76% Student/teacher ratio: 6:1 Financial aid awarded: $3.5M Students receiving tuition assistance: 25%

SCHOOL HISTORY

Fay School was founded in 1866 by sisters Eliza Burnett Fay and Harriet Burnett. They opened their doors with five day students and two boarders; as an institution dedicated to preparing young students for entering St. Mark’s School and other preparatory schools, it became the first junior in the United States. Under Mrs. Fay’s and Miss Burnett’s direction, the School grew steadily, adding a new wing to their home that included a school room, classrooms, and dormitory alcoves. By 1887, Fay was at capacity and had a waiting list. As one student from the 1880s noted, parents responded to the idea of a school “patterned on the schools in England, where the parents…preferred to send their boys away to a boarding school in the country, where they would get a good education as well as the healthful country air and environment.”

Two more generations of the Fay family succeeded Eliza Fay and Harriet Burnett. Eliza’s son, Waldo B. Fay, took over as headmaster of Fay in 1896 after his mother’s death and served in that role until his retirement in 1918. During this period, the School continued to grow, adding a new dormitory, school room, and library. Waldo Fay was succeeded by his son, Edward W. Fay, who served as headmaster from 1918 until he retired in 1942. In 1922, during Edward Fay’s tenure, the School was officially incorporated, and its ownership was transferred from the Fay family to the newly-formed board of trustees.

Edward Fay’s successor was Harrison L. Reinke, who saw Fay through the years of World War II and a significant increase in the day student population. He also established Fay’s efforts system, which has become a signature of Fay’s program. In 1969, Harrison Reinke was succeeded by A. Brooks Harlow Jr. ’49. During Brooks Harlow’s tenure, the School continued the expansion of its campus with the construction of the Reinke Building, the Root Academic Building, and Steward Dormitory. The School implemented a pilot program for girls in 1972 and subsequently became fully coeducational in 1977. Girls had previously attended the school as day students through the late 19th century.

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 3 Stephen C. White led the School from 1990 to 2008. Under Mr. White’s guidance, the School built its endowment, established a strategic plan and a master plan for developing the campus, and completed a $20 million campaign to support those plans. During this period, Fay also launched its International Student Program (known today as the English Immersion Program). The influx of international boarding students from around the world was instrumental in making Fay a global community, and today the School welcomes students from more than 23 countries.

Robert J. Gustavson, Jr., Fay’s current Head of School, took the helm in 2008. Under his leadership, the School has continued to grow, with the construction of three new dormitories and a new Primary School Building. Fay also acquired a new athletic campus in Marlborough, bringing the Fay School property to 66 acres. The School expanded its programming to include Kindergarten through grade nine and in 2017 added an Early Learning Center to serve children ages 2.9 through five.

In recent years, Fay has continued to expand its program, with the creation of the Innovation Lab and the School’s signature Creativity and Design Program, the expansion of the interscholastic athletics program to include grades five and six, expansion of the world languages program to include Primary School, and integration of new technology schoolwide.

THE SCHOOL

While Fay moves forward, the community continues to embrace the School’s longstanding commitment to excellence and the founding principles established by Eliza Fay and Harriet Burnett 150 years ago: “to lay a foundation for education in the broadest sense.” Fay is dedicated to educating children to their full potential, and the School’s program emphasizes five core values: Academic Excellence, Honorable Conduct, Dedicated Service, Earnest Effort, and Wellness of Mind, Body, and Spirit. Students learn

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 4 essential, enduring skills which foster collaboration, creativity, problem-solving, and leadership. Fay’s motto, Poteris Modo Velis (“You can if you will”) highlights the community’s emphasis on effort, perseverance, and resilience.

A love of learning brings the Fay community together, and the program inspires students to be curious and open to new ideas. In a safe and supportive environment, students can take intellectual and creative risks and learn from their mistakes, all within the context of high expectations regarding academic performance and ethical conduct. Teachers know their students as individuals and help them come to know themselves as learners. As Fay students grow, they develop an understanding and acceptance of their own challenges and strengths.

At every grade level, faculty and staff focus on the development of integrity, civility, and respect. As a home for boarding students from across the United States and 23 countries, Fay is an inclusive community that recognizes, respects, and celebrates the full range of human diversity. The School works actively to integrate multiple perspectives into the curriculum and community life. Students and adults at Fay work to develop the skills and competencies necessary for meaningful engagement with others, and each member of the community strives to encounter others with openness, attentiveness, and honesty. School organizations like the Upper School’s Community Connections group provide regular opportunities for students to have meaningful conversations about identity, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The school’s 2020 Strategic Plan outlines the School’s ongoing efforts to continuously strengthen the educational program, promote the ongoing vitality of the school community, and ensure the School’s continued strength and sustainability. The plan outlines strategic priorities in five key areas: enrollment, marketing, program, access, and financial sustainability. Fay’s Board of Trustees has begun developing the School’s new strategic initiatives.

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 5 LOWER SCHOOL ACADEMICS

Students enter the Lower School in grade three and begin the journey of understanding who they are as learners and what it means to be a successful student at Fay. Students participate in a structured and challenging curriculum within a program that is flexible enough to accommodate differences in skill sets, learning styles, and individual interests. Learning is “serious fun” as students stretch themselves and take intellectual risks, knowing they will be supported by teachers and friends in a learning environment that values academic achievement, social responsibility, and consistent effort to be one’s “best self.”

Students participate in a lively academic program that includes direct instruction, class discussions, investigations, and projects. Instructional routines and practices are aligned with the developmental, cognitive, and emotional strengths and needs of each student at every grade level. Teachers encourage increased independence and responsibility for one’s learning as they progress.

Third and fourth graders begin the day in homeroom groupings. Fifth graders transition from the homeroom model to Homevisory, which combines the best elements of homeroom and an advisory program. In sixth grade, students prepare for their transition to the Upper School. A highlight of the year is a four-day capstone camping trip, which provides closure to the Lower School experience and begins to prepare students for the transition to Upper School in the fall.

Coursework in Lower School includes mathematics, reading, writing, social studies, science, world language (Spanish and French), music, art, physical education, wellness, and digital literacy. This traditional curriculum is balanced with an innovative focus where students are challenged to identify problems, think creatively, and iterate and test solutions. Many of these classes take place in Fay School’s Innovation Lab, a 3,000 square-foot lab space with dedicated spaces for designing, fabrication, and tinkering. In Lower School, the Creativity and Design curriculum is integrated across the disciplines.

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 6 ARTS

Creativity in all its forms is embraced at Fay. Arts programs are central to inspiring the creative spirit in students, and from kindergarten onward, all students have weekly arts instruction in music and visual arts where they discover interests and passions and become creative thinkers who are confident in their abilities.

In Lower School, the music curriculum is based on the educational philosophy of Zoltán Kodály and also incorporates the Orff and Dalcroze methods. In fifth and sixth grade, students choose to participate in Chorus, Band, or Beginning Strings. Children develop musical skills through activities that include singing, movement, music reading and writing, improvisation, and playing instruments.

Fay’s visual arts program is hands-on and multisensory; it builds foundational art skills, sparks personal expression, and inspires creativity. Art teachers integrate the students’ classroom studies while also incorporating art history and making connections across cultures and continents. Art is a regularly scheduled course for every student, in every grade.

Drama is also part of the program, with opportunities for students across the grade levels to participate. In the Lower School, fifth graders take a drama class where they learn the basics of theatre vocabulary, character development, improvisation, and script development. Sixth graders participate in a full-stage production that takes place at the end of the fall term.

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 7 PHYSICAL EDUCATION, ATHLETICS, AND WELLNESS

Maintaining a healthy mind, body, and spirit is an intrinsic part of life at Fay. The physical education program in grades three and four observes a developmental sequence for movement, exploration, cooperation, cardiovascular fitness, and sportsmanship. Students also begin to learn rules and skills for the individual and team sports that are part of Fay’s interscholastic athletics program for grades 5-9.

The fifth and sixth grade athletic program at Fay is designed as a bridge from the physical education curriculum taught through grade four to interscholastic athletics in grade seven. Each trimester, fifth and sixth graders select a team sport and attend practices and games after school. The program combines instructional, intramural, and interscholastic activities in a fun and challenging environment where players can learn and grow as athletes. Sports offered include soccer, flag football, cross country, basketball, hockey, wrestling, squash, fitness and games (co-ed), baseball, lacrosse, tennis (co-ed), dance, field hockey, and softball.

Throughout the year, Lower School students also participate in Wellness classes. The curriculum is tailored to meet the needs of the students based on class social dynamics, school climate, and other issues that may emerge. As students prepare for the social dynamics of the Upper School, Wellness classes begin to delve more deeply into topics relevant to adolescence. Students also continue to expand their repertoire of mindfulness techniques.

SCHOOL LIFE

Fay is a deeply connected school community, and every student has a strong network of adults with whom they build meaningful relationships. In fifth and sixth grade, students meet in small, mixed-age

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 8 Homevisory groups at the beginning and end of each day to organize their belongings, talk about the day, and build friendships. The advisory program continues in Upper School. These strong bonds are deeply meaningful to students, and when alumni come back to visit, one of their first stops is always to reconnect with their advisor.

The School believes that it is important to learn the art of leadership, which includes thinking strategically, building consensus, being inclusive, and showing poise and confidence. Fay begins planting the seeds for leadership in the earliest years by giving students in Lower School divisions numerous opportunities to practice leadership skills. They work collaboratively in small groups and lead their peers — such as when the sixth graders coordinate discussion groups for the third, fourth, and fifth graders as part of the Lower School’s “One School, One Book” study. Students also practice speaking in front of classmates and teachers in structured, supportive settings, in all-school meetings, and as part of the public speaking program that begins in grade three.

With a rich history, Fay School enjoys a heritage of traditions that bind the community together — some that demonstrate the School’s commitment to its core values, and some that celebrate fun and friendship. Family style dining is one of these traditions. Students gather for family-style meals, and it is a wonderful time of day to connect with friends and reinforce the importance of courtesy and manners. Beginning in third grade, students take turns as waiters, helping to set the table, serve, and clear plates. The spring Color Competition is another favorite tradition. Every student who enters Fay is assigned to the Red Team or the White Team, and throughout the year, the teams compete in challenges of academic, artistic, and athletic skill. A highlight of the year is the Color Competition, a field day event that brings together the entire student body. One School, One Book is a special tradition unique to the Lower School, where each year, one book is selected for every student — and every parent—to read. This community-wide activity brings together mixed-age groups and parents for lively discussions about literature and life.

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 9 CAMPUS

Nestled in the heart of a classic New England town, Fay’s campus offers the best of what a spacious rural campus has to offer while still being a short drive from one of the great cities of the world. The 66-acre campus includes state-of-the-art classrooms, two libraries, athletic facilities, art studio space, music rooms, and an Innovation Lab for technology, engineering, and design. The homelike dormitories for boarding students feature comfortable bedrooms, common spaces, and faculty apartments to ensure 24-hour supervision and care.

Fay’s athletic facilities include a 36-acre athletic campus, gym, two swimming pools, 10 full-size fields, an indoor turf field, a baseball diamond and a softball diamond with three batting cages, four basketball courts, a fitness center, a ropes course, a cross-country course, eight tennis courts, and an indoor rock- climbing wall.

SOUTHBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS

Just 25 miles west of is the town of Southborough, a mostly residential area with a population of around 10,000. The area features substantial open space, offering residents a serene and rural feel and plenty of opportunities for outdoor enjoyment.

Southborough offers great options for nature walks that are overseen by the Southborough Trails Commission. Located a few miles from Fay’s campus, Hopkinton State Park offers a variety of year- round recreational activities, including swimming beaches, fishing, picnic sites, ten miles of marked trails, and seasonal boat rentals. Located 17 miles west of Southborough in Boylston, Tower Hill is a year-round botanic garden set in 132 acres of woodland and fields. The garden offers a diverse program of indoor and outdoor events and exhibits throughout the year, as well as a network of walking trails. CARNEYSANDOE.COM 10 Accessible from Southborough by road or commuter rail, the city of Boston offers an abundance of activities and places of interest for adults and children of all ages. Boston is one of the world’s premier cities, home to world-class cultural and educational resources. Boston University, Harvard, Tufts, MIT, Boston College, Berklee College of Music, Northeastern, New England Conservatory, and Wellesley College are among the area’s 35 colleges and universities contributing to the area’s youthfulness, vitality, and pride. Rich in history and central to the birth of our nation, Boston also gave the country its first college, secondary school, public park, subway, and periodic newspaper.

Boston is a world leader in medicine and pharmaceutical research, technology innovation, and education. Other leading cultural institutions that call Boston home include the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston Ballet, the Athenaeum, Boston Symphony and Pops, and Museum of Science. Boston is a legendary sports town, abounding in professional, collegiate, and youth teams of all varieties. A river city with a busy harbor and the adjacent Massachusetts Bay and Harbor Islands, Boston is also ideally positioned for recreation with mountains, lakes, and seacoast all within easy drive. Served by a good public transit system, Boston is an eminently walkable (and bikeable) city.

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

The next Head of Lower School will be charged with the following:

• Following a highly respected and greatly admired retiring Head of Lower School. • Leading the division through an anticipated transition from COVID-19 to a return to normal and helping to define what that “new normal” will look like. • Contributing to a school-wide leadership team and representing the specific needs of the Lower School.

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 11 • Assessing and addressing the learning support needs of the students in this division. • Maintaining the unique character of the Lower School and fostering students’ healthy development. • Furthering opportunities for greater faculty collaboration, support, and oversight. • Engaging in thoughtful and strategic conversations about existing programs, schedule, and curriculum, and making measured improvements. • Ensuring continued momentum focusing on program innovation and improvement. • Leading a collegial, collaborative, and supportive Lower School faculty.

DESIRED QUALITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Knowledge of curriculum and pedagogy in grades 3-6. • Demonstrated experience guiding the work of others. • Ability to display a visible and enthusiastic presence in the division and the School community. • A personal commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. • Recognition of the importance of collaboration with the capacity to make a final decision. • Ability to balance the need for instructional consistency with the preservation of teacher autonomy. • Ability to balance both the details and the big picture. • Warmth, openness, and a sense of humor. • Strong communication skills and the ability to maintain trust and accountability with parents and faculty members.

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 12 TO APPLY

Interested and qualified candidates should submit electronically in one email and as separate documents (preferably PDFs) the following materials:

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

Beth Dietz Search Consultant [email protected]

Burke Zalosh Search Consultant [email protected]

FAY SCHOOL, 48 MAIN STREET, SOUTHBOROUGH MA 01772 Fay School admits students of any race, color, religion or creed, national or ethnic origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic background, or with any disability that can be reasonably accommodated by the School, to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at Fay School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of such factors in the administration of its educational policies, employment policies, admissions policies, financial aid programs, athletics, or other school administered programs.

The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the School’s non-discrimination policies, including its Title IX policy:

Diane Byrne, Director of Finance & Operations 48 Main Street, Southborough, MA 01772 508-490-8213 [email protected]

For assistance related to Title IX or other civil rights laws, please contact OCR at [email protected] or 800- 421-3481, TDD 800-877-8339.

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