Reporter

Looking Ahead: Administrative Team Considers
Changes at their Strategic Planning Retreat
In a February letter addressed to
members of the school community,
headmaster Len Tavormina observed,
“We continually review our program
seeking to better serve our children
and their families while improving the
staff’s professional experience.” While
this is an ongoing process, with weekly
staff meetings and brainstorming
sessions, senior staff members Len
Tavormina, Steve Sylvestro, Hallie
Buckingham, Jeff Ruggiero,
Carolyn Lavender, John
Robbins and Kathleen
Gallagher, convened at the
Yale Club in New York City
the weekend of March 23
for a Strategic Planning
Retreat. Input from board
members, staff, parents
and alumni parents was
considered. Listed below
is a summary, in no particular
order, of some of the
decisions and changes that
stemmed from the retreat.
• Next year we will organize
an “open house” for
area professionals. At the end of
each academic year we will also
schedule an evening open house for
parents and relatives of our newly
accepted students who were unable
to attend one earlier in the year.
• Over the summer we will divide a
larger classroom into two smaller
ones to accommodate full enrollment
and to give another teacher
their own “home classroom.” We
currently have two roaming teachers!
• We are exploring other ways to regularly
communicate with our parent
body in such a way that does not
interfere with the important relationship
between our advisors and their
student’s families. It is anticipated
this will take the form of a bimonthly
Headmaster letter.
• We are reviewing ways to enhance
David Sylvestro’s valuable contributions
to the school community. We
would like to make adjustments to
his schedule and activities to give
him additional opportunities to
interact with children, parents and
staff.
• Beyond the regular communication
between our staff and parents we
would like to add another scheduled
meeting at some point in their second
year to review progress. We
anticipate this will take place at
conferencing time.
• Veteran teacher Jill Hansen will join
David Sylvestro and the supervisors
in providing additional counseling
and support to our transitioning students.
We are exploring additional
ways to advise and assist transitioning
families.
• In the fall the teaching staff will be
organized into four distinct teams
responsible for classroom instruction.
We are also going back to a
non-rotating academic schedule.
This is the broadest and most comprehensive
of our decisions and one
that we anticipate will have a significant
and positive impact on our student’s
experience. We will provide
further details in another communication.
• Our academic calendar has been
adjusted so that classroom instruction
will begin after Labor Day.
• The department head positions have
been expanded to provide more
leadership opportunities to experienced
teachers. The following
assignments have been made for the
fall: Heather Humphries (literature),
Megan Aversano (writing), Tom Peets
(math), Sharon Plante
(technology), Julie Igoe
(science/social studies),
Melissa Brown (tutorial
II), and Kathleen
Gallagher (Tutorial).
• Additional lunch selections
will be provided
with a new staff monitored
sandwich bar.
More fresh produce will
also be available at juice
break.
• The school will be seeking
additional information
on our students outside
activities and achievements
to be highlighted at morning
assembly.
• School assemblies will be expanded
for art, music, science, and social
studies.
• We are exploring additional ways to
incorporate the use of technology in
our student’s experience. Carolyn
Lavender will also be researching
other computer programs that support
and enrich classroom instruction.
• The school will be modifying its curriculum
to accommodate a younger
student population. With this in
mind we will also be expanding the
athletic intramural program.
Please feel free to contact any member
of the administrative team should
you have any questions or comments.
15