School Completes Security Assessment with Outside Firm

This fall, the School partnered with Margolis Healy, a firm specializing in safety, security, and emergency preparedness, to review all aspects of campus security.

“This is part of our standard process,” explained Lisa Dwelle, associate head of school for finance and operations. “We do a full safety review every few years to ensure we have the appropriate systems and processes in place.”

The work with Margolis Healy included:

• a document review of our crisis plan and written information about security measures;

• a two-day on-site review, which included meetings with key stakeholders, a facility analysis, and observations about campus at different times of day; and

• a workshop with the School’s Executive Council, during which the group planned responses to hypothetical (but realistic) crisis scenarios, using an “if this, then that” approach.

In early 2023, Mrs. Dwelle, along with a few other staff and Board of Trustees members, will review Margolis Healy’s final recommendations. Due to the sensitive nature of the information in the report, the findings will be kept confidential. However, Mrs. Dwelle shared that she’s already received preliminary feedback that indicates the campus is in good shape.

A team is already working on upgrading the School’s door-locking technology, and small updates to the Crisis Plan have been made.

“We like working with Margolis Healy because they understand that campus safety is proactive,” Mrs. Dwelle said. “They consider mental health factors, including our desire to maintain safety while also preserving a community feel.”

Steward Maintains Commitment to Purposeful Size

Last August, Steward opened our doors with the largest student and faculty community in our history. With approximately 715 students and 100 faculty members, we have now reached the size we’ve been working toward for years.

Head of School Dan Frank spoke of Steward’s purposeful size: “In our 50-year history, the School has been steadily growing as our reputation for excellent education in a caring community has also grown. Nine years ago, the Board of Trustees and School Leadership conducted a school size study, which concluded a school of approximately 700 students was possible for us.”

The study analyzed factors including campus facilities, programmatic needs in academics, the arts, and athletics, and research on social dynamics and authentic connections.

Steward remains committed to this overall school size, with no plans for significant future growth, as well as small class sizes, personal attention, and an environment where every individual is seen and known. Our average class size, 12, has not changed. A robust student body enhances the Spartan experience in many ways, from classroom experience to athletic competition, diversity and inclusion, and artistic and social opportunities.

With all the recognized advantages of our current size (10% bigger than the School was five years ago), the School leadership also sees it has required extra creativity with space and scheduling.

“As we are working on the School’s new strategic plan, we are mindful of future considerations regarding campus spaces,” Mr. Frank said. “It’s exciting to see our community thriving and plan for our future needs.”

Leadership Program Successfully Begins Second Year

The Upper School Leadership Program is now in its second year, and program coordinator Eliza McGehee says she can see its positive impact on participating students.

“I also teach a lot of the second-year Leadership students in my Social Studies class, so I see them daily,” Ms. McGehee said. “I’ve noticed they’re able to collaborate more easily and work through challenges more effectively. In group work, they can identify their strengths as well as the strengths in others.”

Braylan Rice ’25, a second-year participant, agreed. “We’re practicing skills that will not only benefit us now, but also in college and after. We’re learning about our own character traits and those of others and how to use that knowledge to be productive, efficient, and successful.”

The Program now has two cohorts. Twenty students in the first-year group are focused on the selfdevelopment of their leadership traits and styles as well as group dynamics. Like last year, the first-year students will partner with the Student Government Association at the Jepson School of Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond. That group is also supported by Assistant Program Coordinator Scottie O’Neill, who is also an Upper School teacher.

Nadine Odibo ’26 is in the first-year cohort. She said: “The Leadership Program has helped me grow because I've learned that leadership is an accumulation of things that build a strong foundation. Traits that a strong leader expresses are loyalty, trust, and respect.”

Seventeen students in the second cohort are studying global engagement and social justice and the topics’ connections to leadership. Small teams are researching and designing service learning projects that will ultimately be implemented locally. The students chose their topics from the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. These groups will also receive guidance from Rashad Lowery, Steward’s coordinator of campus life and community stewardship.