May 22, 2016

Greetings,

Many thanks to the more than 70 members of the Swain community who joined us Wednesday for "An Evening with Dr. Shannan Boyle Schuster". For those who were unable to attend, here is a summary of our Head-Elect's remarks:

A Look Ahead
by Dr. Shannan Boyle Schuster

"Thrive" - what a great word. It is so much more powerful that its counterpart, "survive". Thrive ... I love that word. As an educator, I am passionate about having children not just surviving school, but thriving in school and later on, because of their experience in school. You want your children to thrive and that is why you send them to Swain.

Although I don't officially start until July 1, I have been fortunate to visit Swain several times over the last six months for meetings, events, and sometimes just to observe. These are the things I have noticed so far...

1. Swain's dedicated, child-centered faculty: This faculty embodies the word "team", with high standards in all areas. I have seen this in our recent Imaginate Week, the middle school musical, and the enthusiasm for our new program, Singapore Math.

2. Swain's amazing results: Look at our secondary school placements this year - from Exeter, to Moravian, to Central Catholic, and many other quality institutions. Our students are not just accepted at schools all over the country, they are recruited.

3. This is a great time for Swain, really a crucial time in its history. There is an energy in the air. People are excited. This is an amazing time to become the new Head of School. There are exciting discussions about how to enhance our program. There has been no greater time in education in terms of what is possible. The question is: what will schools do with these opportunities? Swain is already taking advantage with the 1:1 iPad program, our Makerspace program, and incorporating lots of play, as the research tells us.

You came here tonight to hear about the future of Swain. When I interviewed I was asked to lay out my 60-90-120-180 day plan. Here is what I shared on that warm day last September:

60 Days: Discover. I will be meeting

with every employee this summer, from the facilities staff to the administration, and I also hope to meet with many of you! It is through these conversations that I will discover what Swain does well, and what should I know about what you do.

90 Days: Dream. We will dream - parents, faculty, students, and alumni. Together we will dream about what we want Swain to become over the next five years. This will be a perfect way to lead into the school's next strategic plan.

120 Days: Design. We will then design how we will make those dreams into a reality, considering the financial, cultural, and educational needs to fulfill our dreams.

180 Days: Deploy. By the end of the school year I hope that we are ready as a school to deploy our plan. And that you will be able to see the dreams we developed together, beginning to take shape and become a reality. In addition, I will be working with the Board of Trustees to develop three goals for my first year. I imagine that one of those goals will be centered around our new vision statement. Here is a sneak peek:

The vision will include the three principles that were initially outlined by David (Hursty, Interim Head of School) and that have been approved and agreed upon by the board, faculty and staff. These principles are:

child development research-based practices
hands-on learning
parent partnerships

I am excited to announce that we have already begun to develop some programming around this last item. Beginning in the fall, Swain will sponsor a community-wide, year-long parenting education series. The three headlining events including the screening of a movie called Screenagers, which talks about young people and screen time; a talk with Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, the author of ten books on child development including Einstein Didn't Use Flashcards; and a presentation by Rachel Simmons, who specializes in relationships, and is author of several books, including Odd Girl Out. And this is just the beginning!

We also have some important landmarks next year, including our five-year accreditation visit by the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools.

In addition, we will be growing the Secondary School Placement Program, with Julia Getty at the lead. We will develop a comprehensive program to help families navigate the system of secondary school placement including application help, interviewing strategies, and guidance on possible fits for your child. I am planning to visit several schools in the fall to make sure that schools know about our program and our amazing students.

And to think I have not officially started yet!

In closing, please know that I am also excited to hear your story of how you got to Swain, and hear your dreams about where we can go. We are here to help you raise confident, passionate, life-long learners who do more than survive - they thrive.

And this week on Facebook...

There was a lot of traveling this week, from our scientists going to the state PJAS competition - to 3rd graders capping off their study of our great state with a trip to Harrisburg - to the 8th grade class trip and 6th-7th grade day trips. And the 5th graders did their annual Hot Air Balloon project! Check them all on Facebook, and make sure to visit the "Art of Teaching" blog for stories about our wonderful faculty!

Thanks and enjoy your week!