8 minute read
Introducing the New Leading Leopards
from The Lead: Fall 2022
On July 1, we welcomed three new faces to the Lowell administration. Joining Head of School Donna Lindner and Middle School Director Kavan Yee, Nathalie Šviedrys is Lowell’s new Pre-Primary School Director, and Justin McLean is the new Primary School Director. In addition, Courtney Benson stepped into the new role of Assistant Head of School, where she will focus on curricular design and implementation, professional development and coaching of faculty and staff, and parent education programming. Courtney, Justin, and Nathalie — who join us from Sandy Spring Friends School, The Meadowbrook School of Weston (Mass.), and Sheridan School, respectively have jumped right into their roles and are already working to connect with the community. As they get to know all things Lowell, we asked them about what guides them day-to-day and what they’re looking forward to, both in work and play.
Why did you feel Lowell would be a good fit for you?
Nathalie: I love Lowell’s sense of community, where diversity and inclusivity are present. Everyone is working toward the same goals of educating children with values and experiences that make them discover their interests in a progressive environment.
Courtney: I admired Lowell from afar for years before officially joining the community. The school’s commitment to student-centered teaching and learning, its focus on preschool through 8th-grade education, and its talented team of leaders are easy to admire! When I actually got to visit the campus, conversations I had with various constituent groups reflected a community that was fully dedicated to a progressive, whole-child approach to teaching and learning, which aligns with the tenets that have guided my own educational practice over the past 15 years. It immediately felt like home!
Justin: I love K–8 schools, and I was hoping to find a place that walked the walk with diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as strong academics. When I visited Lowell, I saw my hopes and dreams for a school actualized in the classrooms that I visited and the people with whom I interacted.
What excites you most about Pre-Primary and Primary education, respectively?
Nathalie: The children in Pre-Primary School are transparent. They are excited to learn new things and are like sponges that absorb any information you give them. I love how they reflect on themselves with each other and how they see life.
Justin: What excites me the most about Primary School education is the present and future impact. Many times when an individual reflects on their vocation as an adult, they come back to an experience during their Primary School years. It is exciting to be alongside seven-year-olds and know that what is happening in a classroom will have an immediate impact on their life today, but also when that young person is 17 or 47. When I was in third grade, I had a teacher (Ms. Chen) who challenged me as a math student, and it had a profound ripple effect in my life that eventually led me to Boston College.
What is your philosophy as a leader in education?
Justin: I believe that schools have a vital role to play in the society that we live in today and the communities that we will come to know in the future. I consider myself a futurist; I choose to be in education because we owe it to every young person to provide a space for them to come of age in an environment that prepares them to thrive in an unknown future. I also consider myself a humancentered gatherer; I think meaningful change comes from a collective of individuals working together on thriving teams. Leadership is about helping others shine!
Courtney: I am a tireless advocate for listening deeply listening to what our students are telling us, not only with their words but with their struggles, their successes, their resistance, their excitement, their behavior, and their emotions. I am also committed to remaining transparent and accessible to the community, so my door is always open for questions, conversations, ideas, and debate! Mine is a new position, and I hope it can serve as a bridge and a connection between so much of the incredible work people are already doing at Lowell.
Nathalie: I am a hands-on person who loves to be inside the classroom, collaborating and learning from others.
I look forward to gaining a better perspective and understanding of the day-to-day routine in the Pre-Primary School and its dynamic. My goal is to collaborate with the Pre-Primary School and create a connection with the Primary and Middle School so we can better understand each child’s journey throughout Lowell.
How do you plan to build community and connection with and between Lowell’s students, parents, faculty, and staff? How can the community help you?
Courtney: Being present and accessible is my starting point and connecting with parents, faculty, staff, and students is my first priority. I’m working on carving out office hours during the week to allow for a consistent time to connect and chat with families and faculty. The community can help by popping by my office, reaching out to say hello, or stopping in the hallway to chat!
Justin: I plan to start by asking genuine questions and listening intently. I also love to design experiences for people to gather in a manner that builds trust, growth, and belonging. I hope to be a part of co-creating and co-designing gatherings for our Primary School community to share meaningful experiences. The community can help by sharing their stories with me, especially about why they came to be at Lowell.
Nathalie: I would like to involve families in our day-to-day adventures and projects and find times to get together as a community. My goal is to run a “pop-in session with Nathalie,” where families, faculty, and staff can spend some minutes in the morning having coffee to get to know me better and learn more about what is happening inside the Pre-Primary School.
Outside of education, what are some of your passions?
Justin: Outside of school, I am the parent of three children under five years old: Italina, who joined the Pre-Primary School in the fall, is four; Santiago is two; and, Alejandro was born on May 23, 2022. I spend most of my time with them, alongside my wife, Julianna. I also love running, and one of my goals this year is to find my way back to it.
Courtney: It’s a running joke in my outside life that there isn’t a hobby I haven’t tried! Aside from spending time with my family, the passions that have stood the test of time for me include gardening, cooking, and fitness activities of all types with a strong preference for running, martial arts, and lifting heavy things! drawing, design, and anything involving animals.
Nathalie: I love spending time with my two daughters and family by traveling, exploring, going thrifting, cooking, and enjoying life at home together. Also, I am currently renovating a little house outside the DC area built in the 1870s. Art is my passion, and I consider the house my canvas; every part I work on is becoming a piece of art.
Justin, you grew up nearby; how does it feel to be back in your hometown?
Justin: I left the DC area when I was 17 years old, and returning more than twenty years later is surreal. Everything feels both familiar and completely new. I am so excited to be living here again, close to family. Two of my children will meet their great-grandfather for the first time!
Courtney and Nathalie, you have lived in the DMV for several years now. What is your favorite thing about the area?
Nathalie: As an artist, I take advantage of all museums. My favorite museum is the National Building Museum because of the architecture and inside space. When my kids were little, we often went there to picnic in the main hall.
Courtney: I love that the DMV truly serves as a hub for so much of the world around us. I’ve lived outside of NYC, in Boston, and in Chicago, and I’ve found that DC’s energy truly is unique. I love that my kids get to grow up with the experience of living in this area, too.
Lastly, what are you most looking forward to in the year ahead?
Nathalie: I look forward to an amazing school year where I can collaborate with co-workers, meet all the students and parents, and have opportunities to get together. I want to be present in the classrooms and in our students’ lives to support them whenever needed.
Justin: When I visited Lowell in March, the strength of connections between students, faculty, and staff was awe-inspiring. I’m looking forward to the meaningful relationships I will have with young people, faculty, staff, and Lowell families.
Courtney: I am so excited to get to know this community! I see so many opportunities to enrich and expand upon the already-amazing things we are doing at Lowell, but the visioning process around our growth has to be a co-creative one. I really look forward to creating partnerships and developing relationships with the broader community.
