`Q123E4R5Y6I9O0P-[=\
Head of School Leadership Opportunity July 2017
Upland Country Day School
Kennett Square, PA
Students Pre-K – 9th Grade
www.uplandcds.org
Page |1
THE POSITION Upland Country Day School in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, seeks a Head of School to lead a community of approximately 145 students and 32 faculty and staff. Founded in 1948, Upland is an independent, nonsectarian, coeducational day school serving students in Pre-Kindergarten through 9th grade. Upland enrolls students from nine school districts in Pennsylvania and Delaware, most within a 15-mile radius of Kennett Square. Upland’s campus is nestled in the beautiful, bucolic rolling hills of Southern Chester County, 15 miles north of Wilmington, DE and 40 miles west of Philadelphia. For the past 68 years, Upland Country Day School has been a community of people committed to a common purpose: providing an unparalleled educational experience for students. The School strives to teach children to love learning, engage in their education, communicate in the world and embrace challenges as opportunities for growth. An innovative academic program, which combines some of the most progressive opportunities in education with a traditional background and an emphasis on the Four A’s – Academics, Arts, Athletics and Attitude – are the hallmarks of the Upland program.
Mission To provide a challenging, academic, arts, and athletic program that nurtures the strengths of each child, fosters independent thinking, and develops graduates of character with a passion for learning, the confidence to take risks, and the perseverance to achieve success in school and life. Vision To be a leading independent school combining the traditional and innovative in a country setting where children play, explore, learn and flourish.
While remaining true to the core principles on which the School was founded, Upland has experienced a renewal over the past three years. A successful $6 million capital campaign increased the School’s endowment and provided funds to build a new $2 million IDEA (Innovation, Discovery, Engineering and Arts) Center and to renovate buildings across campus. Upland has also become one of only a few middle schools in the nation to implement the Harkness method of teaching in all Upper School classes. A strategic plan was put in place to guide and grow the School for the next four years and the entire student body and faculty united to adopt “The Upland Way”, a framework defining what distinguishes Upland students as athletes, artists, scholars, and citizens.
The next leader will be charged with moving the School forward to take full advantage of its unique position in the marketplace, while continuing to ensure excellence in an already strong program. It is essential that Upland engage a Head who will embrace child-centered learning and embody the spirit of the School. The next leader will chart the School’s path in an increasingly complex and dynamic economic and educational environment, by seeking the optimal balance of endowment growth with ongoing capital, marketing and instructional needs, and the continuing advancement of new pedagogies in the classroom.
Page |2
THE SCHOOL The Upland story began more than 68 years ago with four mothers who envisioned an education for their children that went beyond the standard reading, writing and arithmetic approach of nearby schools. The founders sought to create a school community where each child was not only academically challenged, but nurtured and encouraged to think independently and to live and work well with others. Upland was initially an elementary school serving nursery school through third grade. In 1962, it moved to its permanent home complete with a farmhouse, a barn and a small cobbler’s shop all situated on a sprawling beautiful campus. Since then, Upland Country Day School has continued to grow and expand both academically and physically. Grades four through nine were added and the first class graduated in 1953. The original spirit and values are as important today as in 1948. People frequently comment that there is a special feeling about the Upland campus – a sense of positive energy and a spirit of community. It is evident in the way people pitch in to help one another and in the number of volunteers who work on all sorts of events and activities throughout the year. While Upland believes in challenging students cognitively, the community also believes that meaningful learning is not limited to a child’s intellect. The needs of the whole child (cognitive, social, emotional and physical) are recognized and met through an interdisciplinary approach that promotes understanding and achievement. Through full participation in athletics, the arts and community service, students form strong bonds with classmates and faculty while gaining experience, confidence and a readiness to accept new challenges in life. By the time students graduate and continue their education at independent boarding and day schools as well as local public schools, they are prepared with the confidence and leadership skills to succeed. “It All Matters” is the School motto and the foundation of all programs and community at Upland Country Day School. No detail is too small to warrant the attention and best efforts of students and faculty alike in academics, arts, athletics and citizenship. Success in each area is based upon the connections forged between faculty and students to encourage children’s natural curiosity, creativity and individual talents. Faculty focus on learning by doing, promoting collaborating rather than competing and set individual expectations of excellence. As a result, children thrive in a setting that combines security, academic challenge, a sense of
Page |3
purpose, and joy in learning. Students graduate 9th grade empowered to fulfill their individual potential in high school and beyond forever impacted by the rich traditions and support of the Upland family. Upland Country Day School is a member of and accredited by PAIS (Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools) and a member of NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) and many other organizations. ACADEMIC AND EXTRACURRICULAR PROGRAMS In small class settings with a dedicated faculty who care deeply about children, Upland provides a challenging, yet nurturing environment in which children can begin a lifetime of learning. In Upland's classrooms, children are surrounded by teachers who encourage them to take risks and explore their individual talents and strengths. This positive school culture is informal and encouraging. The academic program, balanced by the arts and athletics and enhanced by information and communication technology, is designed to promote the intellectual, moral, and physical potential of each child. Upland is a Mac-based campus with iPad learning integrated throughout the curriculum beginning in PreK, progressing each year to a one-to-one iPad learning program in Fourth and Fifth grades and a one-to-one MacBook laptop program in grades six to nine. Each classroom is equipped with a Promethean ActivBoard. THE PRIMARY CENTER The Primary Center at Upland Country Day School, consisting of Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten and 1st grade, is a comprehensive and supportive program that promotes selfdiscovery and understanding of the world. Professional and caring teachers guide children through their first years of school and provide students with developmentally appropriate opportunities to explore, make choices and build theories. Play is used to build skills and knowledge. In a nurturing, child-centered environment, students are encouraged to take risks and are allowed to make mistakes, thus enabling them to become creative and critical thinkers. Additionally, children learn that they are valuable both as individuals and as members of a group. They are encouraged to explore their strengths and share them with their classmates.
Page |4
THE LOWER SCHOOL Children in Lower School move through a comprehensive and progressive program in which they are challenged at each level with developmentally appropriate expectations and goals. As students grow from 2nd through 5th grade, they take on more responsibility each year, earn more privileges, and learn how to balance the many aspects of school life. Children discover how to learn by actively constructing knowledge through exploration and integrating new information with prior knowledge. Instilling in the student a passion for the challenge of learning builds a solid foundation for a lifetime of learning. By the time students complete the Lower School program, they understand how they learn best and have developed confidence, creativity and a mastery of skills. They have learned to be part of a group and have developed respect for others and practice in seeing others’ points of view. Children ultimately believe in themselves as important individuals and as vital members of their community. They are ready for the challenges they will face in Upper School. Upland Country Day School Founded: 1948 Grades: Pre-K – 9th Current enrollment: 143 Faculty: 32 Faculty with advanced degrees: 62% Student-Teacher ratio: 5:1 Students of color: 2% Operating revenues: $3.0M Indebtedness: $1,990,000 Financial aid: $1.2M Students receiving aid: 83% Endowment: $5.9M Annual giving: $415,000 Trustee participation: 100% Faculty & Staff participation: 100% Parent participation: 67% Alumni participation: 23%
The academic program contains many components that are unique. For example, all Lower School students have three 40-minute laboratory science classes each week, taught by a full-time Lower School science teacher. Additionally, all students have instruction in Spanish language and culture at a minimum of two times a week. Lower School students are immersed in the arts throughout the school year, having studio art two days a week, with experiences in both 2-D and 3-D art, and music two days a week throughout the year. All Lower School grades are involved in a theatrical production during the year and have drama class weekly. Research reporting begins in 1st grade, and technology is incorporated throughout the entire Lower School. THE UPPER SCHOOL Upland Country Day School’s Upper School is designed to prepare students academically, emotionally and socially for their next school by requiring full participation in all areas of school life - in academics, athletics and the arts so that each child gains the self-awareness and confidence he/she needs to shape identity and discover voice. The Upper
Page |5
School offers courses in English, math, history, science and foreign language (Latin and Spanish) where the faculty employ the Harkness method to maximize engagement and ownership of the learning. As well, there is a full arts program, which includes 2D and 3D visual arts, drama and music. Students play sports all three seasons at the appropriate skill levels. In addition, students have the opportunity to participate in chorus, vocal ensemble, yearbook or student council, and all 8th and 9th graders have the opportunity to travel to Finland as part of the Upland Overseas program. The 9th grade year is a critical year at Upland as it allows students the opportunity to consolidate their academic skills, to explore their own strengths, to mature in a caring and supportive environment, and to experience leadership positions in a variety of areas like student council, the arts, drama, yearbook and athletics. Upland looks to its 9th graders to set the tone for the School and to lead by example. By the end of 9th grade, the students are scholars, contributing members of school teams, participants in the school’s theatrical productions, international travelers and role models for younger students. They have confidence, a strong sense of self and the foundation to build whatever future they design for themselves. THE ARTS Upland’s fine arts and performing arts programs are an important component of the School’s program, developing students’ imagination and judgment, furthering critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and encouraging communication, interpretation, analysis and synthesis. Upland’s arts courses provide a progression of experience that allows them to develop creative perspectives for looking at the world, past and present, and to express themselves through active participation. ATHLETICS AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION The Upland athletic philosophy holds that each student has something special to contribute and can gain a great deal through athletics. Athletic and team participation helps students grow, learn and enjoy themselves as they develop personal, physical, and intellectual skills. Because coaches are teachers first, athletics at Upland is considered an extension of the classroom and towards that end, meaningful, life-long lessons are taught on the ice and one the playing fields. Students strive to compete and in doing so hold ourselves to high standards of sportsmanship and respect for each other, the game, opponents and officials. Winning is not the ultimate end sought, but rather the efforts by student athletes to be their best and the skills they
Page |6
develop through the program help them to succeed on the field and off throughout their lives. With an on-campus ice rink and multiple athletic fields, Upland fields interscholastic teams for girls in field hockey, ice hockey and lacrosse and teams for boys in soccer, ice hockey and lacrosse. In the winter season, a co-ed running/athletic club is offered providing opportunities for student athletes who choose not to play hockey to take part in fitness and short running races throughout the season. In Upper School, all students receive grades on report cards for their participation, sportsmanship and effort both on and off the field in athletics. Upland Country Day School has many long-standing traditions within its athletic program. For over 35 years, the school’s teams have been traveling to tournaments, playing in foreign countries, hosting visiting teams in their homes as well as developing skills and relationships that last a lifetime. These tournaments and travel provide important experiences in team building, healthy competition, and foster relationships with students from other schools and countries. UPLAND OVERSEAS Upland Overseas, the Upland-Finnish Exchange Program, began in 1977 to provide students with a first-hand, international perspective using student exchange and foreign travel with an athletic focus as a vehicle for sharing friendship even when language might be a barrier. It is a unique program that connects two cultures and builds an ever-growing family. The program has two components. First, each year Upland welcomes at least one boy and one girl from the area around Turku, Finland to spend the year as members of the 9th grade class. These students generally come to us from the TPS Ice Hockey Club and Lahjan Tytöt, an aesthetic gymnastics club, and live with Upland families for the duration of the year. The students quickly become members of their host families as well as members of the larger Upland family. In addition, Upland’s 8th and 9th grade students (boys one year, girls the next) travel each March to Finland for 10-14 days to learn about its history and culture and to play ice hockey (boys) and lacrosse (girls) with Finnish teams. The highlight of the trip is the annual visit to Turku where students stay with host families and visit with alumni. The town of Turku opens its arms to the travelers and immediately Upland students feel as if they have found a home in a country that they thought would be foreign to them. Every three to five years, the Upland community welcomes teams from TPS and Lahjan Tytöt for a cultural exchange on this side of the Atlantic. This is always a much-anticipated chance for Upland’s American and Finnish alums to reconnect and reminisce as well as to make new friends.
Page |7
THE UPLAND WAY During the past year at Upland, students and faculty came together to define what it means to be an Upland student. Every student in the Upper School was placed in a focus group, Harkness style, where they discussed what defines them as an Upland student as a scholar, an artist, an athlete and a citizen. Each group then narrowed down the core values of an Upland education. The result? The Upland Way. The Upland Way helps create the school’s unique atmosphere where children develop self-esteem, as well as respect for their peers as individuals. The Upland Way expects high standards of behavior, courtesy and academic performance. Discipline is firm within a relaxed, friendly atmosphere of mutual trust. The standards of behavior, the expectations of interpersonal relationships and moral values are embodied in The Upland Way. CAMPUS, SETTING AND LOCATION Upland’s 26-acre rural campus is an idyllic setting surrounded by woods and farmlands in Chester County. This fall, the newest campus facility, the 2,000 square foot Kleberg IDEA Center opened. The IDEA Center contains a STEM lab/makerspace and a gallery for displaying student art and projects. The Center is attached to the Kleberg Building, originally the academic building, now home to the science and studio art programs. The historic barn became the School's gym in 1964, complete with a basketball court, locker rooms and an auditorium. The Barn was renovated in 2001 to include a music and drama wing. The original cobbler shop is now a multi-purpose space with a mini-gym, after-school care facility, and conference room. The Academic Center, inspired by the design of a dairy barn, was constructed in 1970 for grades 2-9. The John M. Cleveland Ice Rink was built in 1970 honoring Upland’s Head of School from 1962 to 1981, and soon became an integral part of life at Upland. Children begin skating in Kindergarten and each year, Lower School students show off their developing skating skills for the entire Upland community in the Annual Skating Show. The rink is also home to Upland’s boys’ and girls’ ice hockey teams. Annually, Upland hosts the oldest junior school youth hockey tournament in North America.
Page |8
The Head of School’s residence is named the Swayne House after the first headmistress of the School, Elizabeth Swayne. The three bedroom, 1 ½ bath home is situated directly across the street from the School’s main driveway and sits on a one acre lot that backs onto a beautiful horse training facility, woods and fields. The campus is adjacent to the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Campus for large animals, the New Bolton Campus. Longwood Gardens, one of the nation’s premier botanical gardens, is just minutes from the School. A local website, www.thebrandywine.com, describes the area: “The Brandywine Valley is nestled amidst the rolling hills of southern Chester County, PA, where the Battle of Brandywine was fought, and northern New Castle County, DE where the paper was milled for the Declaration of Independence and America's first currency. Here is where the duPonts made their fortunes, built their mansions, and where three generations of Wyeths have lived and painted the landscapes and people of Chadds Ford.” Through efforts over the last 50 years by concerned citizens and the Brandywine Conservancy, 32,000 acres of land have been protected from industrial development and the Valley retains its historic character. The area offers world-class museums, galleries and historic houses, from E. I. du Pont’s 1802 black powder mills to the Winterthur Museum, the premier museum of American decorative arts. GOVERNANCE The School is governed by a 16-member, self-perpetuating Board of Trustees, comprised of current and former parents, alumni and community representatives. The Board plans, develops and establishes the mission and philosophy of the institution, develops operating policies, assesses the performance of the School in all areas, and is responsible for the School’s financial condition and its physical plant. Board members take leadership roles in fundraising efforts and participate in the major functions of the School through its committee structure: Finance, Enrollment, Development, Long Range Planning, Trustees, and Building and Grounds Committees. THE HEAD OF SCHOOL The Head of School is the chief executive officer of the school, reporting to the Board of Trustees. He or she will execute the mission of the school and carry out the policies determined in conjunction with the Board. The Head of School’s responsibilities include oversight of all academic, extracurricular, enrollment, and personnel matters, as well as management of the school budget and external relations. The new Head of School will be expected to be the inspirational leader of the school, broadly informed about academic matters, committed to excellence, and possessing both a moral and educational vision to take the school forward. STRENGTHS OF THE SCHOOL • Strong sense of community and close-knit family atmosphere with positive, trusting student-faculty relationships
Page |9
The unique IDEA Center program directed by the School’s Director of Making and Doing • Harkness teaching and learning model incorporated into all Upper School classes • Strong academic program/excellent preparation for secondary schools • Small class sizes with excellent faculty committed to the balanced approach of the “four A’s” • Developing the whole student – experiential learning is infused in all aspects of the curriculum • Strong commitment to global outreach, capped by a unique foreign travel athletic experience for all 8th and 9th grade students • Devoted alumni/ae who love the school • Active and engaged Board of Directors who are committed to the mission, vision and core values of the School • Location in a beautiful country setting, surrounded by farms, meadows and streams OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR THE HEAD OF SCHOOL • Improve school’s visibility in the external community • Establish and manage new approaches to increase enrollment • Manage a retention program for current families • Promote the value of the School’s program to attract more full-pay families • Maintain a culture that values all constituents and builds on the sense of community • Work closely with faculty on system of evaluation and professional development • Address fundraising activities and build the personal relationships necessary to generate Annual Fund, capital campaign, and endowment gifts • Address financial challenges and budgetary needs to ensure financial sustainability • Maintain and improve campus facilities and address infrastructure needs to enhance the educational experience • Improve collaboration between the School and local foundations, businesses, and conservancies • Evaluate the School’s administrative, financial, and communication software platforms EXPERIENCES AND SKILLS DESIRED IN THE NEXT HEAD OF SCHOOL • Strong academic background with an understanding of a balanced curriculum and program • Experience with faculty professional development and observation/evaluation programs • Ability to connect with the all members of the school community • Involvement with programs for the recruitment of students including marketing and outreach, applicant testing, and acceptance and financial aid decisions • Experience working with elementary and middle school students and leading faculty and staff •
P a g e | 10
Management experience and demonstrated leadership skills Collaborative and assertive leadership style Ability to work with CFO in the preparation and management of the annual budget as well as the preparation of monthly reports to the Board • Fundraising experience or aptitude and interest • Strong written and oral communication skills PERSONAL QUALITIES • Dynamic and passionate about education • Approachable and personable • Innovative and inspiring • Team player and leader • Eloquent and transparent • Empathetic and supportive • Has a genuine desire to build relationships with all the members of the school community and to be involved in all aspects of school life • Understands and enjoys being around children ages 3-15 • • •
P a g e | 11
TO APPLY Interested and qualified candidates should submit electronically in one e-mail and as separate documents the following materials: • Cover letter expressing interest in the Upland Country Day School Head of School position • Current résumé • Statement of educational philosophy and practice • List of five references with name, phone number and email address of each to: Jacob (Jake) Dresden jake.dresden@carneysandoe.com Senior Search Consultants CARNEY, SANDOE & ASSOCIATES 44 Bromfield Street, Boston, MA 02138 www.carneysandoe.com