December 1, 2017 Dear Friends and Families of The Parish School, During my career at The Parish School, I’ve gone from teaching in the classroom (hugs to my Bewley Bears), to serving as principal. But it has been my greatest honor to share the title of Head of School with two women I have loved and admired, the late Robbin Parish and Margaret Noecker – two women who dedicated their entire lives to the children of The Parish School. After 20 years of service to The Parish School, I have decided to announce my retirement as Head of School, effective May 31, 2019. It is with a heavy heart that I move on from the community I have known and loved, but I feel fortunate to have seen this school continue to grow and thrive over the past several decades. Accompanying this message, you will hear from Steven Gordon, President of The Parish School Board of Trustees on plans for moving forward. It has been my pleasure to work with so many talented and dedicated people over the years. Brilliant and innovative programs like Social Learning, Adventure Play, the Arts, puppy raising…all provide additional outlets for our children to find their voice and shine. As we embark on this transition to find the next Head of School, the word that most comes to mind is resilience. It’s a trait we at The Parish School teach our children every day. And I can’t think of a place that has shown more resilience than The Parish School. When the administrative building on our old campus on Timberline Road suffered a massive fire, we turned it into an opportunity to create the 17-acre sanctuary we have today – allowing us to serve twice the number of children we previously had. After our longtime Head of School, Margaret Noecker, passed away, the Margaret Noecker Nature Center was established in her memory. Hiring a Nature Educator, encouraging nature-based classroom projects and constructing a certified outdoor classroom, we provide our children the opportunity to experience nature and learn in ways that can’t be duplicated in a classroom environment. I know that Parish will continue to show resilience as I transition from this position. The next 18 months will be full of activity, so it’s important to begin the succession process now. I have been in ongoing discussion with the Parish Board of Trustees, who have formed a search committee and timeline to find the next Head of School. I am confident they will select someone who also has as much of a passion for continuing the work of Robbin and Margaret, and for providing the best education for children who have communication delays and learning differences.
Know that I am dedicated to helping in this process and upon my official retirement, will not be far away. You’ll probably find me volunteering on campus all too often, digging in the gardens or stuffing envelopes for that next massive mailing. The Parish School will forever hold a very special place in my heart. As Robbin once said, “We provide children with the tools necessary to succeed in this world and to have faith in themselves to do whatever they want to do and to be whoever they want to be.” As I reflect on the last 20 years of my career at Parish, I realize that I’ve answered the question, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” I’ve become exactly what I wanted to be and done exactly what I needed to do, all thanks to The Parish School. Sincerely,
Nancy Bewley, MAT, CCC-SLP Head of School
December 1, 2017 Dear Friends, After almost 40 years of dedicated service to the fields of education and speech-language pathology, Nancy Bewley has informed the Board of Trustees that she will retire at the end of the 2018-19 school year, effective May 31, 2019. Three incredible educators have passionately led The Parish School as head of school over the last 35 years. After the unexpected passing of longtime Head of School Margaret Noecker, the Board of Trustees asked Nancy to step in as interim Head of School in April 2013. In January 2014, after a nationwide search, a board-appointed search committee selected Nancy as the best of many worthy candidates to lead the school during a very difficult time. I have enjoyed the privilege of working with Nancy for over a decade. She is the consummate professional; no matter the task, she remained positive and never questioned her devotion to the Parish mission. Among the many accomplishments during her tenure as Head of School, she led the school’s reaccreditation in 2014, upgraded the campus technology infrastructure and has done an immense amount to increase the visibility and maintain the reputation of the school. Now comes the task of finding a Head of School worthy of following in the footsteps of three great leaders. As a first step, former Board Chair Laurie Gutierrez has agreed to serve as the chair of the Search Committee that will undertake a deliberate and thorough search for Nancy’s successor. The Committee will select a firm to conduct a nationwide exploration for the next Head of School. We will pursue input from the Parish community, including current parents, faculty and staff, and will keep you informed throughout the process. We are immensely grateful for Nancy’s contribution to Parish and wish to honor her by ensuring that we find a candidate that can continue her legacy of excellence and commitment. With Nancy remaining in her position for the next 18 months, we will have adequate time to complete the search. On behalf of the Board, I can assure you that we take the responsibility of selecting our next Head of School very seriously, and will act thoughtfully and carefully. With your help, we will find a new Head of School who will build on Robbin, Margaret and now Nancy’s legacy of excellence and innovation in the education of children who have communication delays and learning differences. The Parish School will continue to be a place where children don’t just grow, they thrive! Sincerely,
Steven Gordon President, Board of Trustees