St. Richard’s Episcopal School Dr. Leslie Hosey, Head of School
It has been a gift and blessing to serve as Head of School at St. Richard’s Episcopal School. Despite the ongoing pandemic and surges in variants, we have been largely successful in maintaining our in-person program. During this transition in leadership, I have appreciated the opportunity to reflect on our shared history and to more fully articulate the important role Episcopal values have in the life of the school. I am so grateful for the wise and supportive counsel of our Chaplain, Fr. Ben, and for our students to have the opportunity to learn and grow in the sacred spaces at Trinity Episcopal Church, with Mother Julia presiding as Rector.
This year we will celebrate the well deserved retirement of Cheryl Eiszner, a long time Trinity member and a St. Richard’s faculty member. In addition, we were proud to support the successful Trivia Night Fundraiser for Horizons at St. Richard’s. Next year, we look forward to welcoming an inaugural membersof the Trinity Service Corp at our school. Finally, real world service projects, such as the donation of air purifiers to partners such as Trinity Haven and the Mid North Food Pantry, allow our students to see themselves as having meaning and purpose in their school program. We are grateful for these partnership opportunities and our relationship with Trinity!
While COVID-19 remains a significant factor in managing our school program, we are also beginning our school reaccreditation process. For a new school leader, this process is timely, as we are called to examine and reaffirm our mission. Together, our governance structures will explore our history and the state of our school and commit to practices that will grow and sustain our school. Earlier this school year, we held a faculty retreat to begin the process of affirming our mission and values. The Rt. Rev’d Bishop Jennifer BaskervilleBurrows and Fr. Ben provided foundational knowledge about the Episcopal church, and beautifully articulated the values present within our school program. Faculty left the retreat with new knowledge, energized, and validated for the work they perform daily. Consistent with our five pillars, we continue to meet the academic, social-emotional, and spiritual needs of our students, resulting in a superior and enduring school experience.
My best wishes to Trinity Episcopal Church, Leslie Anita Hosey, Ph.D. Head of School, St. Richard’s Episcopal School
The last few years have been challenging for all independent schools. Due to the brilliance and extraordinary care within our community, we are finding our way to financial strength, more stable enrollment, and building structures to ensure the future of our school. While personnel had been pared back due to budgetary constraints, we are rebuilding our advancement team to provide creative and innovative strategies to increase enrollment, grow our endowment, and spread the good news about the value of a St. Richard’s education. We have lost touch with a large number of alumni, and we will begin rebuilding our database to reconnect all that have been positively impacted by St. Richard’s. Despite some challenging years, our future is bright, and we are so grateful for the strength found in our shared history.
The mission of St. Richard’s, an independent Episcopal day school, is to instill knowledge and values for a lifetime through the implementation of Five Pillars for Success: Faith, Classic Curriculum, Leadership, Civic Responsibility, and Global Readiness.
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