Dear Headwaters Parents, Faculty, Staff, Students, and Friends,
As we come to the close of another academic school year, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the school’s accomplishments and express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for your commitment to our school community.
Before we delve into our updates, I would like to extend a special note of appreciation to Cheline Jaidar, who will be stepping down from her role as a Trustee. Cheline has been an invaluable asset to our team since 2018, contributing her insights, expertise, and passion for education.
In our past year of Board business, here are some notable achievements:
- The Board worked with Head of School, Ted Graf, to develop, implement, and strengthen the Strategic Priorities. In particular, we worked closely with school leadership on salary increases for all faculty and staff, supported the school in establishing a partnership with Authentic Institute of Montessori in order to offer Montessori training, and continued our ongoing assessment of the school’s facilities.
- With the help of our real estate team at the Colliers Group, we have secured lease renewals on all four of the leased properties on the River Campus (Buildings 1, 6, 7, and 8).
- Each board meeting included robust updates on important school functions like Admissions & Retention, Program Development, Faculty & Staff, Health, Facilities, Development, and Finance.
- The School received another clean audit with the support of the Board Finance Committee.
- Mid-year, the Board welcomed three new members–Anand Anbalagan, Tracy Manier, and Keith Martin.
- The Board continued supporting the Head of School and assessing his performance in a constructive manner.
Lastly, the school conducted a strategic study on school size and what that means for our future. Following a parent survey, focus groups with students, and a series of Ted Talks with parents, Ted presented his insights on school size and how that relates to our identity, our programs, and our students. Below are some of the take-aways from the year’s strategic work that are influencing our thinking and planning:
- Faculty, students, and leadership are eager for more and better quality spaces on all three campuses.
- The school can be applauded for its efficient and creative use of space.
- River Campus students (both middle and high school) are clear that we need to increase the size of both programs.
- There was agreement across the campuses that high quality after-school programming (including athletics) is crucial to the school’s future.
- The school remains deeply committed to the downtown core and is working to build more collaborations and bring City-as-Classroom to life for our middle and high school students.
In closing, I would like to inform you that my term as Chair has completed, and I will be stepping down. It’s been an honor to serve this community in this fashion and give back some small fraction of the many gifts my family received from the school over the course of 13 years. I became Chair in January 2020 with so many of my initial plans quickly set aside thanks to what we all know came next. It has been incredible to work with Headwaters School as we navigated running a school during a (hopefully) once in a lifetime pandemic. I feel fortunate for the friendships and relationships I have gained through all of this. And, above all, I am so grateful to be able to help this school that I have known for so many years. While I will no longer be Chair this coming year, I look forward to serving on the Board for another year, so you haven’t seen the last of me.
I am delighted to announce the newly elected officers who will lead our board next year and beyond. Allan Cole has been elected as the new Chair, bringing with him a wealth of experience and a deep appreciation for the school’s 3Ps. I have complete confidence in Allan's ability to work with Ted and lead our school towards continued success, and I look forward to collaborating with him closely. Please join me in extending a warm welcome to Allan as our new Chair.
Furthermore, I am pleased to announce Magdalena Vial has been elected as our new Vice Chair. Magdalena's passion for education and her strong leadership qualities make her the perfect fit for this position. I have no doubt that her contributions will be invaluable as we navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Please join us in welcoming Magdalena as our new Vice Chair.
Again, on behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to thank the entire community–parents, grandparents, students, family, guides, staff, alumni, and beyond–for your continued support. This summer break, we encourage everyone to take a well-deserved rest and recharge for the next academic year. Let us continue to work together to ensure that our school remains a place of inspiration for all our students and through our collective efforts continues to make a lasting impact on the lives of our students.
Sincerely,
Jerry Aubin
Outgoing Board Chair
