LOUISE S. MCGEHEE SCHOOL NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA HEAD OF SCHOOL JULY 1, 2018 www.mcgeheeschool.com Mission Statement The mission of The Louise S. McGehee School is to provide a rigorous college-preparatory education to girls in an inclusive environment which fosters self-esteem, encourages high personal standards, addresses individual student needs, and emphasizes active student participation in the learning process. The program uses traditional and innovative teaching strategies to challenge students and to foster enthusiasm and a commitment to lifelong learning. THE POSITION Louise S. McGehee School (McGehee), a PK-12, college preparatory, nonsectarian, independent girls’ day school in New Orleans, Louisiana, is seeking a Head of School beginning July 2018. Located in the historic Garden District, McGehee educates girls in an inclusive and engaging environment. Offered are a broad range of innovative programs in the arts, athletics, and academics designed specifically for girls. Throughout the School, McGehee uses traditional and innovative teaching strategies to challenge students, to foster enthusiasm and to encourage girls to take risks and reach their highest potential. From the TinkerLab for younger students to the independent research projects and mentorships in the Upper School, students are encouraged to explore their passions with a highly qualified and supportive faculty. The next Head of School must be committed to continuing and expanding upon the tremendous legacy already in place. For over 100 years, McGehee has remained true to its mission as an all-girls’ college preparatory school that meets the needs of the individual student and fosters a lifelong love of learning. The School’s community service programs, guiding principles, and student government are testaments to its founder’s vision. The next Head of School will be charged to continue executing the School’s mission while continuing to improve and strive for excellence in academics, athletics, the arts, and character education. THE SCHOOL Miss Louise Schaumburg McGehee founded the School in 1912. Her vision was to provide young women opportunities in education and leadership previously unavailable to them. The original schoolhouse was located at 1520 Louisiana Avenue and opened with an enrollment of 30 students. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 1 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com Today, McGehee’s campus spans nine buildings with approximately 100,000 square feet of space, covering nearly an entire city block. McGehee has always been a leader in educating girls in the region. Among numerous firsts, McGehee was the first school in the region with an Honor Code; the first to offer laptops; the first to provide online course options; and the first to incorporate the Reggio Emilia philosophy for young children. In February, 2017, McGehee was recognized as the first Louisiana Common Sense Certified School for Digital Citizenship. McGehee serves 489 students in Prekindergarten through grade 12. With an annual operating budget of $12 million and a strong endowment of $6 million, the School teaches girls in an inclusive environment where the focus is on the individual learner in a stimulating classroom environment that creates a culture of learners. Committed to maintaining a welcoming and inclusive study body, the School awarded $1.3 million in financial aid for the 2016-17 school year. McGehee’s dedicated administration, faculty and staff are of exceptional caliber. One hundred twenty-five full-time and thirty-six part-time faculty members with advanced degrees bring passion, energy, experience, and deep commitment to their work with girls, and a student/teacher ratio of 8/1 ensures each student receives individual attention. Faculty members love working at McGehee because they are surrounded by passionate peer educators who constantly reevaluate how they can improve and excel in their teaching methods. Faculty also take full advantage of extensive professional development conferences, seminars, and scholarships made available to them. As an all-girls’ school, McGehee provides a communal experience in a supportive culture that gives girls the guidance they need to take risks, push themselves, succeed academically and graduate well prepared for college and beyond. The School continuously challenges each student to strive for excellence and reach her potential in all areas of McGehee life. It stays abreast of current trends in education and technology and offers top level athletic programming. McGehee works to shape its students into ethical, resilient, and compassionate citizens. The Honor Code is a moral compass for girls and is instilled in students throughout their educational journey, while service remains an essential element of the School’s mission. Leadership opportunities provide critical moments for girls to develop self-esteem and grit—all crucial survival skills for the 21st century. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 2 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com McGehee is a charter member of the Online School for Girls (Now known as One Schoolhouse), which offers Upper School courses such as Intro to Computer Programming, Engineering, AP Computer Science, Forensics and AP Psychology. The option of taking online courses offers more variety and diversity in an independent school curriculum and complements McGehee’s mission of meeting the individual needs of each student. The School is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS), the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools (NCGS), the National Association of College Admission Counselors (NACAC), and complies with the NACAC Statement of Good Principles of Good Practice. McGehee is accredited by the Louisiana Department of Education. ACADEMICS McGehee offers its students a balanced, challenging, and reflective curriculum that produces intellectual, creative, and ethical individuals with the support of a mission-centric community. Students at McGehee are high-achieving, confident learners. With low student/teacher ratio, a highly skilled and dedicated faculty, and a campus brimming with resources, the academic program breeds success in all areas of development. The academic program is progressive and includes many highly innovative curricular initiatives. A small school by design, McGehee teachers tend carefully to the differing needs of each child; students are accommodated by multiple teaching methods and varied groupings in small class sections. While emphasis is placed on academic rigor, the learning environment is balanced by nurturing teachers and staff who work to encourage the growth of the whole child. Critical thinking skills, responsibility, The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 3 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com good effort, and positive attitude are encouraged and recognized in developmentally appropriate ways at all grade levels. Teachers help each girl find her voice, take risks and deliver her best. Science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics (STEAM) spiral throughout the curriculum at McGehee, providing hands-on learning experiences as well as opportunities to develop skills that meet the demands of the 21st century. The School’s youngest students in Little Gate spend time in the TinkerLab, an age-appropriate maker space, exploring, creating, making, building and more, while Lower School students use their Inventor’s Lab to explore basic coding and robotics. Middle Schoolers collaborate in the STEAM Lab as part of their regular class schedule, providing exposure to the broad field of engineering and design. In Upper School, STEAM principles are integrated throughout the curriculum and girls can explore their interests through independent research and group projects. Students in grades 5-12 bring a laptop to school each day, allowing technology to enhance the curriculum and shape girls into responsible digital citizens. With a challenging curriculum led by an ambitious faculty, attention to students’ well-being, and customized learning experiences, McGehee girls graduate, headed to some of the most prestigious colleges and universities across the country, ready to take on the world. EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM Little Gate, McGehee’s co-educational preeminent early childhood program for children up to age four, has enjoyed over a quarter of a century as the premier program of its kind in the greater New Orleans area. The curriculum-based program calls Mathilde Hall, the most recent campus addition, home. Little Gate uses a Reggio Emilia approach, emphasizing child-directed, experiential learning through play. The curriculum for students ages one to four, focuses on developing the “whole child”— The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 4 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com perceptual abilities, readiness skills, communication, and creative expression, as well as gross and fine motor coordination. The Reggio Emilia philosophy sees the environment as the third teacher. Curiosity is nurtured and encouraged through the curriculum, as the faculty creates unique environments both indoors and out where students can explore, problem solve, build, create, and discover. The School’s well-equipped classrooms, playground, and one of the most beautiful and interactive butterfly gardens in the city all provide exceptional opportunities and environments for learning. Classes are kept small to maintain low student to teacher ratios,