May 9, 2013
At this exciting juncture in MPA’s history, I am honored to have been asked to step into the role of Lower School Director starting in July. I believe that my 28 years with MPA – teaching in the classroom, serving as assistant lower school director and faculty evaluator, experiencing MPA as a parent of two MPA alums, and continuing a lifetime of learning as a graduate of a masters in educational leadership program and a stint at the Stanford Design School – have uniquely prepared me to take on this new role. I take up the reins of the Lower School with a passion for excellence and an unwavering commitment to help the MPA community become the best that it can be.
As I contemplate my goals and priorities for 2013-14, I want you first to know that I value each student and family in Lower School and will work hard to ensure that the needs of all are met on a daily basis. My office door will always be open, and I want to hear about your concerns, your interests, and your goals for your children. So please don’t hesitate to drop in to say “hello” and to let me know what issues are on your mind.
I am bursting with new ideas, so let me share some of my plans and priorities with you as I embark on this new challenge.
- I plan to create a curriculum and iLab to teach and reinforce innovation, creativity, and problem solving. High-level and independent thinking will be stressed. We will select a design challenge as a Lower School to work on throughout the year. I will partner with teachers to make these concepts relevant to classroom studies.
- I pledge to collaborate with teachers to build consistency and continuity across all curriculum areas. This work will involve strengthening communication among teachers around curriculum goals and objectives, both within the grade level and between grade levels and subject areas.
- My goal is to create a cohesive Lower School and to foster a stronger bond among students within our division. This will include starting a Monday Morning Meeting, developing a LS walking program, and planning exciting special events. Stay tuned!
- I plan to support teachers in developing programs that meet the needs of students. This will include setting up book clubs, math clubs, or reading clubs. It will mean challenging those who master the classroom curriculum easily and supporting learning styles that might require more innovative approaches.
I am confident that we will have a great “new” beginning in Lower School. I am so grateful for the support of the LS teachers, and I look forward to partnering with them to make LS the place to be and become! I welcome any questions, comments, or ideas that will help LS at Mounds Park Academy flourish.
I can’t wait to get started (actually, I already have!).
