Looking Ahead to 2018-2019

Dear CSS community,

Even as we celebrate the many events of April and May, we are busy planning the 2018-2019 school year and have several important announcements to share. In general, we are continuing to see trends of selective and intentional enrollment growth, curriculum enhancement, and the addition of talented educators joining the CSS team.

Growth: We are continuing to enjoy strong community response to our admissions and marketing campaigns and to manage growth in a thoughtful and sustainable manner. To that end, this spring we have been in the process of hiring several additional Children’s School teachers. The immediate impact of this will lower student to teacher ratios in some sections and expand enrollment at the same time. Please note that the current class size policies are still in effect. Current Children’s School faculty will remain assigned to their current grade levels, except for Sara Derr who will join Mr. Ferguson in 4th grade. Click here for a link to all current CSS faculty/staff biographies and assignments in our directory. Adding more teachers will have several concrete benefits. First and foremost, it will allow us to achieve a financially sustainable enrollment level at the school, a core element of our current strategic plan. Additionally, lower student to teacher ratios in grade levels that are currently full or soon to be full will allow for more academic differentiation in the classroom, more social opportunities for students and richer experiences in sports and the arts. Now is a great time to refer a new family to CSS! Please reach out to the Admissions Office if you know a student or family who loves school and is ready to make the most of the many opportunities at CSS!

Administrative positions and new faces: There are several exciting changes in our administrative structure for the 2018-2019 School year. Next year, Eric Gaylord, our current Academic Dean, has decided to return to his first passion in education, teaching Middle and Upper School Science. He will replace Roger Tucker (retiring) in this role. I’m extraordinarily grateful for the intelligence and good judgment that Mr. Gaylord has brought to his role as Academic Dean of CSS. He and I are both very proud of what we’ve accomplished during his tenure in this important role.

New to CSS, Sam Gaudet (pronounced Gow-det) will join us as our new Associate Head of School next year. His duties (similar in nature to Mr. Gaylord’s previous duties) include oversight of all academic policy and student programs, support for Division Leads and faculty. Mr. Gaudet is a graduate of an independent school, earned his undergraduate degree in Geology from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, and his M.Ed. from Bank Street College of Education in New York City. Mr. Gaudet has served in the senior administration of Waterside School and St. Luke’s School, two distinguished independent schools in Connecticut and has experience teaching and coaching at several other schools. He joins us most recently from Strive Prep in Denver, where he is the Assistant Principal of Operations. Sam will begin his work at CSS this summer and host several events at CSS next fall to get to know all students and parents.

Nicole Goyette, currently our Director of Student Programs, will serve as the Middle School and Upper School Division Lead next year. Nicole has distinguished herself during her first three years at CSS by enhancing both the safety and intentionality of our seminars, community service, and international student programs. In her new role as Middle School and Upper School Division Lead, she will serve as the administrator directly responsible for students, parents, and faculty in our Middle School and Upper School. Unlike the division lead teacher model previously in place, Ms. Goyette will not have teaching responsibilities. We believe that this new structure will allow us to increase academic and programmatic connectivity between our Middle School and our top-ranked, college prep Upper School. We are currently in the process of interviewing candidates, both internal and external, for the Director of Student Programs position.

I am grateful to Mr. Amos White and Dr. John Longo for their excellent work as division lead teachers for the last four years. Next year, both Mr. White and Dr. Longo are looking forward to expanding their teaching responsibilities. Mr. White will teach Middle School History and Dr. Longo will teach Upper School English and Upper School Theater classes. Both are subject matter experts, master teachers, and long-time favorites with students.

Departing faculty: This spring we will have the opportunity to say thank you to two long-tenured CSS faculty members, Bette Anterra and Roger Tucker. We’re grateful for their collective 43 years of service to CSS and we wish them the best of luck in what I’m sure will be two very active “retirements.” Additionally, Middle School History teacher Krista Wills, Middle School Spanish teacher, Jose Arguello, part-time faculty/staff Max Ferguson (drama), Adam Hooper (vocal ensemble), Jon Cleckler (counselor), and Krista Bridgmon (counselor) and Debby Herman (sous chef) are moving on to new adventures next year. We wish them the best in their new endeavors and invite you to join us on the quad for an end-of-year Ice Cream Social at 11:45 a.m. on Tuesday, May 22 to honor of these faculty members.

Continued communication: After the end-of-the-school-year, I will send a letter with that will introduce all new faculty and staff members. Current Children School parents, you will have the opportunity to meet the primary grade level teachers on Monday, May 21 from 2:30 - 3:00 p.m. during a special Meet the Teachers event. More details to follow. And of course, all families are invited to attend the back-to-school Ice Cream Social at 6:30 p.m. August 17, 2018!