Head of School Search

Head of School Search July 1, 2023 St. Martin’s Episcopal School 3110-A Ashford Dunwoody Road Atlanta, GA 30319 https://www.stmartinschool.org/

Mission St. Martin’s Episcopal School is dedicated to providing a quality education of the whole person in a loving, Christian atmosphere, which fosters lifelong learning.

Values ●

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providing students the opportunity to reach their highest potential for intellectual achievement, aesthetic appreciation and physical development developing within each student spiritual growth based on the Christian tradition, moral standards, sound judgment in ethical decision-making and self-discipline responsible stewardship, citizenship and community service providing students experienced, dedicated teachers and administrators who work together in an atmosphere of affection, trust and security welcoming all students of diverse backgrounds 2

THE SCHOOL

St. Martin’s Episcopal School opened its doors as an independent school in 1959. Today, St. Martin’s is dedicated to providing a quality education of the whole child in a loving, Christian atmosphere, which fosters lifelong learning.

St. Martin's seeks to educate the hearts as well as the mind of its students. As an Episcopal school, students' spiritual growth remains an essential part of St. Martin’s mission, working to inspire good citizenship, service to God and the community, and love and respect for oneself and others. St. Martin's is a Christian school with an Episcopal identity that welcomes children of any faith. Tactically, St. Martin’s accomplishes its mission through many different learning and exploration experiences. These experiences are possible through the small class sizes, which are vital to the students' success. No child is left out of classroom discussions, hands-on projects or playtime.

St. Martin’s recognizes that the individual learning rate and capacity of each student is unique. St. Martin's Episcopal School believes in giving every student time to learn, explore, and grow at their own pace as each child is supported in an individual journey toward achieving his or her highest potential. In the small classes and nurturing community, students safely explore, take risks, face challenges, and celebrate each other's successes. Each child and family at St. Martin’s has a voice in crafting a learning plan that meets their student’s unique needs.

St. Martin’s students develop supportive friendships with their peers and feel the strong support of the hands-on faculty who are truly dedicated to the success of each and every student. Coinciding with the robust academic program is the opportunity for a rich and diverse extra-curricular experience. From drama to athletics to student government, children may participate in multiple organizations and enjoy leadership roles among their peers. A significant factor at St. Martin’s is that leadership opportunities in the Middle School are much more available as this is the final piece of a student’s education at St. Martin’s.

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ACADEMICS Infants and Early Childhood St. Martin's Episcopal School offers a program for infants from 8 weeks until a child is developmentally ready for the SMES Toddler class. The curriculum is grounded in love, kindness, safety and patience, with the goal to provide exceptional care for babies and early learners. St. Martin's Early Childhood Program recognizes that young children are brimming with natural curiosity. At St. Martin’s, the curious youngest learners are offered support while being challenged by a rigorous curriculum that is specifically designed to provide growth opportunities for the whole child: cognitively, physically, artistically, and spiritually.

Highly skilled and dedicated early childhood teachers begin to lay the foundation for a lifetime of learning.

Elementary School The Elementary School (Grades 1 - 5) is a loving, vibrant community that balances high academic standards with a rich co-curricular experience in visual and performing arts, world languages, physical education and STEAM principles. The program seeks to continue the use of exploration introduced in the Early Childhood program, coupled with the natural curiosity of young learners while emphasizing the important foundational skills of time management, resiliency, ethics and teamwork necessary to develop students who continue to perform at their highest potential through the ability to leverage these vital learning skills. A balance of core academics and co-curricular classes offers students the opportunity to explore multiple disciplines, stretching their knowledge of the world through the arts, STEAM, physical education and world languages and inspiring them to discover their passions and talents.

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ACADEMICS

Middle School The Middle School's more traditional structure is designed to prepare students for academically rigorous high schools where they will matriculate upon completion of this curriculum. A stimulating array of courses engages young minds by developing sound study skills and continuing the creation of inquisitive habits of mind. Technology is integrated in all areas and organically supports academic learning as a necessary tool for students advancing in their studies. The Middle School, like the other divisions, is committed to the development of the whole child. Academics is the core of our curriculum; however, students are also encouraged to be physically fit through P.E. classes and athletic programs. The fine arts are emphasized through co-curricular classes and a variety of music, art and drama activities. Spirituality is addressed with religion classes and weekly chapels, often involving the Student Vestry. Experienced and committed Middle School educators who care about each student and respect individual differences, have specific goals for student learning as the students are once again encouraged to aspire to achieve their highest individual potential. These age-specific trained teachers specializing in this important growth phase for pre-teens emphasize responsibility, encourage intellectual curiosity, demonstrate that hard work leads to success and foster an excitement for lifelong learning.

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PROGRAMS

Academic Support The Kairos Learning Center offers a unique learning environment for students with language-based learning differences such as dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia that affect their ability to learn in large classes with traditional teaching methods. "Kairos" in ancient Greek, refers to the right, critical or opportune moment in time. This 90-minute breakout program ensures that students with unique learning needs not only recognize the individuality of their own learning: metacognition, but that they have successful strategies in place to carry them into high school and beyond. St. Martin's honors this idea by offering the "school within a school" approach to providing students who apply, in first through eighth grade, with the additional support they need to succeed. That support is balanced with immersion in the educational experience, extracurricular opportunities and overall culture offered at SMES.

Arts and Athletics St. Martin’s begins specialty programming in the arts both performing and visual arts, beginning in the Early Childhood program. Elementary and Middle School offerings increase with speech/drama, chorus, and band. In drama, students begin a balanced exercise in public speaking and acting. SMES’s thespians consistently shine in state One-Act and ThesCon competitions. The St. Martin's Athletic Program represents an important part of school life as the expectation of educating the whole child is fulfilled at the school. St. Martin's Warriors compete against schools of similar size and skill through the Metro Atlanta Athletic Conference (MAAC) Each year, St. Martin's fields teams in 9 different sports. More than two-thirds of all Middle School students (6th-8th grades) participate on these teams, while others (1st-5th grades) play on intramural teams where they are introduced to new sports or work to polish their skills.

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DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

St. Martin's faculty and staff are encouraged to attend conferences that further equip them to advance the mission of inclusion in their curricula, classrooms and workspaces. These regularly include the People of Color Conference sponsored by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), and workshops and conferences offered by the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) and the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES).

As an Episcopal school, one of St. Martin’s fundamental tenets is inclusivity. The community believes in an inclusive community where every member feels a sense of belonging and can be their authentic selves. Diversity and inclusion (D&I) are integral components of everyday life at St. Martin's. The mission, core values and D&I work are rooted in the Episcopal identity, which calls people to seek and serve God in all persons, loving one’s neighbor as themselves.

St. Martin’s invites students of all backgrounds to be part of the community. In keeping with their Episcopal identity, everyone is respected, affirming not only their value as people -- and as members of the community -but also the value of their diverse backgrounds, experiences, and beliefs. As such, the Director of Diversity and Inclusion is committed to providing programming, training, curricular support and leadership for the school community, allowing for a deeper connection to SMES’s Episcopal identity and their diversity and inclusion goals.

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THE CAMPUS & LIVING IN ATLANTA

In 2017, a rebuild of the early childhood wing of the school involved more than 19,000 square-feet of space on two levels. The building seamlessly integrates into the existing Young Hall Kindergarten wing allowing a fuller preschool experience for the entire division. Key building elements include: a Pre-school Science Lab involving additional space for animals and creatures, a teacher’s demonstration station, flexible “messy” learning areas, and a hydro station for hands-on exploration; a daylight Art Lab to stimulate natural curiosity, creativity and expression; and a Tinkerlab space that bridges the realm between art and science to create an EC Steam village. The age range served at this Ashford Dunwoody Road-Brookhaven campus spans from eight weeks to eighth grade. The High Point Road-Sandy Springs campus serves eight weeks to three+ years old.

Atlanta is not only the capital of Georgia; it's the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Atlanta metro area is home to more than 5.7 million people, and it's the ninth-largest metropolitan area in the United States. The city itself is located in Fulton County, with a small portion of the city extending to DeKalb County in the east. Nicknamed ATL, The Big Peach, or The City in a Forest, Atlanta is a great place to live with a low cost of living and endless things to do. When living in this cultural hub, Atlanta’s citizens discover delicious food, amazing scenery, friendly people, and multiple amenities. Atlanta is home to a large number of Fortune 500, 100 and 1000 companies headquartered. Delta Airlines, United Parcel Service (UPS), and Home Depot are just a few of the many well-known companies that call Atlanta home. The Coca-Cola Company originated in the city when the first beverage was served in downtown Atlanta in 1885.

Atlanta touts many professional sports teams from the World Series-winning Atlanta Braves baseball team to the Atlanta Falcons (football), Atlanta Hawks (basketball) and Atlanta United (soccer). The city also hosts the PGA Tour Championship at East Lake and the BB&T Atlanta Open tennis tournament every summer.

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ST. MARTIN’S EPISCOPAL EPISCOPAL DAY SCHOOL FASTSCHOOL FACTS FAST FACTS

SCHOOL

Established: 1959

FINANCE

Grades: Infants - Grade 8

Tuition: $11,830 (3-day beginners) - $25,150 Kairos tuition (Gr. 1-6) $31,500

Enrollment: 656

Endowment: Approximately $6M

Early Childhood (2-K): 174 Elementary (1-5): 296 Middle School (6-8): 186

Students Receiving Tuition Assistance: 12.5%

Minority Enrollment: 17% Mascot: Warriors Average Class Size: Grades 1-5: 20 Grades 6-8: 17 Campuses: 2, on 14 acres in north Atlanta

FACULTY

Full-time Faculty/Staff: 106 Part-time/Assistant Teachers: 33 Student:Teacher Ratio: Beginners - Kindergarten: 8:1

Memberships & Accreditation

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The Position St. Martin’s Episcopal School seeks a dedicated, thoughtful leader who will embody and promote the school's mission and values. The new head of school will embrace the Episcopal tradition openly welcoming students of any faith to the school community. St. Martin’s desires a leader who will continue the journey the school has been on in recent years as it reflects upon the lessons learned from the COVID challenge, regains its sense of community that is so vitally important to the school, as well as recognizing the need to continue to implement and provide detail to several new initiatives begun during recent years . The school finds itself at an exciting point in its history as the next chapter for St. Martin’s begins. Additionally, the school continues to recognize the need to ensure that every one of our students - both new and current – feels not only welcomed at St. Martin’s but also realizes a sense of true belonging. In fact, in accordance with the Episcopal tradition of inclusiveness, St. Martin’s quest is to ensure each individual student recognizes that he or she is an integral part of the amazing mosaic that makes up St. Martin’s family community. The new head of school will be at the forefront of designing and embracing the educational and community growth of the next phase in the St. Martin’s Episcopal School journey. He or she will be essential to scripting the return to normalcy as the school regains what is so special about this loving community.

Importantly, the next head of school will also be the benefactor of a year of intentional leadership and strategic positioning guided by the recently appointed interim head of school. Recognizing the need to carry out a thoughtful and complete head of school search, St. Martin’s has thoughtfully hired the expertise of a seasoned head of school to lay out the entry pathway for the final permanent head of school beginning July 1, 2023. The new head of school will have the opportunity to work closely with the interim head of school during the initial months after his or her appointment.

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QUALITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS

Professional Qualities

Opportunities and Challenges

A successful candidate will exhibit:

The new Head of School will be expected to:

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demonstrated leadership and management skills effective faculty and leadership coaching ability strategic and long range planning abilities comfort in promoting St. Martin’s Episcopal School locally and nationally the ability to organize and execute effective meetings business/financial experience and acumen

Personal Qualities

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maintain a strong sense of community graduating wholehearted individuals effectively recruit and retain faculty and staff uphold standards of excellence keep St. Martin’s competitive with other Atlanta area independent schools evaluate and strengthen the School’s administrative organization

St. Martin’s believes the transition from children to young adults is the best time to develop a strong foundation therefore its next leader should: ● ● ● ● ●

be a strong and effective communicator have a warm, approachable personality inspire those around her/him have a passion for education and open to new ideas is comfortable making fair and firm decisions

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How to Apply Prospective candidates should send the following materials in a single PDF document to the search consultants.

Laura Fuller ●

Letter of interest specifically addressing this position and school

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Resume (education and work experience)

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Statement of educational philosophy

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List of five professional references with contact information

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Letters of reference, if available, but not required

lfuller@educationgroup.com

Allison Lorimer allison@educationgroup.com

Candidates will be evaluated as materials are received

The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid programs, or school-administered programs.

Linda K. Talton linda@educationgroup.com 12