MOUNTAIN VILLAGE CHARTER SCHOOL - Plymouth, New Hampshire HEAD OF SCHOOL Start Date: July 2022 mountainvillagecharterschool.org
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MOUNTAIN VILLAGE CHARTER SCHOOL
Plymouth, New Hampshire
HEAD OF SCHOOL
Start Date: July 2022
mountainvillagecharterschool.org
To engage students in experiences that integrate natural environments with the Montessori curriculum, igniting achievement in academic, social-emotional, and physical development OVERVIEW Mountain Village Charter School (MVCS) is a global pioneer in elementary and middle school education, offering innovative, nature-based Montessori instruction within a public institution. MVCS currently serves 108 1st-8th grade students and will continue to grow over the next several years to serve a maximum of 150 1st-8th graders. Following the work of Maria Montessori, the school’s educational approach recognizes that children learn and grow incrementally in response to where they learn and develop. The MVCS campus, at the foot of the White Mountains on the Baker (Asquamchamauk) River, provides the unique opportunity to harness the landscape as a primary teaching resource for students: the natural world becomes the exceptional classroom, inspiring wonder, independent learning and critical thinking. The school is tuition-free and open to any student residing in New Hampshire. Current Head of School Katy Gautsch joined MVCS in 2017 after working for over 15 years in the nonprofit field. She spent many years coordinating a child development clinic that served children and families all over the state of NH, where she routinely worked with the Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services and many local school districts and nonprofit organizations to help bridge the gap of needs for families. Katy is a founding parent of MVCS and has worked diligently since 2012 to ensure the continued success of the school. The school is seeking a new head of school, effective July 2022. The school is seeking a new head of school, effective July 2022. The Head of School at MVCS acts as both a traditional public school principal and superintendent, and also requires a flexibility to adapt to the specific needs of the school’s visionary educational approach. The successful candidate will be dedicated to the families of MVCS, passionate about the school’s mission, and eager to embrace the hands-on aspects of running a vibrant elementary and middle school. The candidate will excel in all aspects of school leadership, including facilities and office management, and still relish the chance to be an active educator as needed on campus.
Let the children be free;
encourage them; let them run
outside when it is raining; let
them remove their shoes
when they find a puddle of
water; and when the grass of
the meadows is wet with dew,
let them run on it and trample
it with their bare feet; let them
rest peacefully when a tree
invites them to sleep beneath
its shade; let them shout and
laugh when the sun wakes
them in the morning.
-Maria Montessori
SCHOOL HISTORY
Conceived in 2012 by a group of invested parents, Mountain Village Charter School is rooted in a
commitment to quality public education that embraces the natural world as classroom. Inspired by
Europe’s Forest Preschools, the school opened in the fall of 2014 with 38 1st-3rd graders. The first two
weeks of the school were held completely out of doors, with beautiful open-air classroom spaces and
teaching materials, under a canopy of sugar maples, beeches, hemlocks and birches.
During the first years of MVCS, teachers and staff crafted a curriculum, a thoughtful, research-based
integration of Montessori philosophy and practices, Nature-based outdoor education, and New
Hampshire’s Common Core Standards, and tailored it to the MVCS forest and watershed campus. They
created outdoor classrooms, nature trails, and play spaces, and learned to guide students in their
learning out of doors. Each year, MVCS added a grade, graduating its first eighth grade class in the
spring of 2020. Current enrollment is at 108 students in five multi-age classrooms with 17 faculty and
staff members.
Having crafted a curriculum and solid teaching faculty, the school is moving into a new phase of growth
and development; a dedicated and enthusiastic Head of School is fundamental to its success.
FAST FACTS Inaugural year: 2014 Enrollment: 108 Student/teacher ratio: 8:1 Lead teachers with advanced degrees: 80% Annual average volunteer hours per family: 20 New Hampshire towns served: 20 Cost for a student to attend: $0 THE SCHOOL At MVCS, teachers and staff focus on meeting the needs of the whole child, and understand that a child’s full potential – physical, intellectual, social and emotional - can be realized through the exploration of their environment. By embracing the Montessori philosophy and nature-based practices in our approach to education, students engage in project- oriented learning that sparks their innate curiosity, nurtures their inner discipline and fosters their motivation to learn. This approach to education and the natural world seeks to inspire a sense of respect and stewardship for the earth and all of its inhabitants. Students at MVCS spend over one third of the school day outdoors, in fall, winter, or spring, in sunshine, rain, sleet, or snow. Preparing for the unpredictable nature of weather and the outdoors fosters a resilience and flexibility in students that serves them well beyond their years at MVCS. Those who graduate from the school will have spent well over 2000 hours of time in direct nature- experience. They will, perhaps unwittingly, have become experts in the flora and fauna of our region, in the seasonal changes of soil, water and sky, in the environmental challenges and potential solutions specific to their home community. They will know such details as where red-backed salamanders hide in dry times, what flowers bloom first in shaded forest plots, which frogs prefer moving water and which prefer ponds. They will have an intimate familiarity with their natural environment not seen in typical NH citizens for generations. With this experience and knowledge, MVCS students will strengthen their identity and confidence, cultivate their interests in science and technology, and develop the capacity to problem-solve relevant issues, environmental and otherwise. An MVCS education is truly exceptional, both in content and quality.
NATURE-BASED MONTESSORI In a traditional Montessori classroom, children are allowed to develop at their own, natural pace and specially trained teachers help guide them toward discovery with materials designed to cultivate concentration, motivation, self-discipline and a love of learning. When we take the Montessori approach outdoors at MVCS, students discover what they love about the woods, rivers, marshes, and fields. Recurring experiences in nature during childhood improve a child’s well-being, spark creativity and big- picture thinking, and enable them to envision their place in the world. At MVCS, we embrace the natural landscape as an educational tool, repeatedly visiting outdoor sites during the course of the school year to build an emotional connection between children and the earth. In concert with teachers, students play an active role in developing their work plans and the direction of their studies. Like our students, nature is dynamic, constantly changing from day to day and month to month. Our forest campus provides endless opportunities for students' curiosity. As students become comfortable in our outdoor space, they become keen observers of their surroundings. From the more obvious (leaf color changes), to the most subtle (the size and shape of pine needles), each natural shift prompts students to question, search, observe, and hypothesize, leading them down multiple lines of inquiry. Students are encouraged to create and develop real-world projects that enable them to apply new skills across content areas and to develop leadership skills. The stream that runs through the MVCS campus has often served as a point of departure for lessons and play. Students study seasonal changes in aquatic biota and calculate creek velocity before and after a rainstorm; they launch boats crafted from birch bark shed by trees; they follow the winding creek from its mountain spring to its outlet into the Baker (Asquamchumauke) River to visualize the watershed
The child is both a hope and a promise
for mankind.
-Maria Montessori
and learn about the Abeneki who lived along its banks; they use it as inspiration for creative writing
prompts in their nature journals. At recess, the stream is integrated into daily play, when students
compete in “jump the creek,” balance on a slackline strung across the water, wade through its shallows
in the spring, or harvest its ice in the winter for snow sculptures. With the natural world at their fingertips,
students find endless exploration at MVCS.
Another central component to the MVCS classrooms is peace education, a Montessori cornerstone.
When parents walk into one of our classrooms, they often remark on the quiet, peaceful atmosphere,
with students working alone or in small groups, spread out on the floor or at tables. At MVCS, teachers
strive to make the classrooms peaceful spaces, visually, emotionally, and socially. Grace, courtesy,
and conflict-resolution are a large part of the MVCS. Grace and courtesy lessons continue in the
elementary environment from the primary environment, but the format changes from guided role plays
to group problem-solving and community meetings. Small meetings between classmates or larger
community meetings help students navigate social situations. During these groups, students learn the
role of civil discourse, allowing one person to speak at a time. As students progress to Upper
Elementary and Middle School, classes discuss difficult situations and events that arise in the
classroom or the broader world; students are encouraged to offer multiple solutions, working towards
resolutions that accommodate different points of view. With these skills, MVCS builds engaged and
aware children who are equipped to build a sustainable future, both social and ecological.
INTEGRATED CURRICULUM
Like the school, the arts, athletics, and music programs are unique to MVCS. Unlike traditional public
schools, MVCS does not have "specials" added on to the curriculum. Instead, art, physical education,
and music are integrated into daily activities and lessons; all classes focus on igniting creativity in a
child.
In Lower Elementary, students are immersed in the studies of the natural world and their artwork,
songs, and games reflect that focus. They are encouraged to explore nature-derived art materials for
their compositions, collecting colorful leaves, fallen pinecones or twigs for their multi-media projects. In addition to more formal art activities, students' nature journals are often filled with sketches or drawings of their surroundings- spontaneous inspiration from the natural world. Taking advantage of the outdoor spaces MVCS offers, classes often hike or snowshoe into the farther reaches of the campus; yoga, sledding, and kickball are additional physed favorites. In Upper Elementary and Middle School, art is integrated into many aspects of students’ studies. Students use nature journals to sketch and draw their observations during science explorations and nature connection practices. Teachers and students are also encouraged to bring their own interests and skills into the classroom. Woodworking, hide-tanning, sewing, and quilt-making have taken place in concert with lessons in regional indigenous cultures and local contemporary traditions. Students have read excerpts from Robin Kimmerer's "Braiding Sweetgrass" to learn about the history of Abenaki basket making and then practiced their own basket making skills, guided by community volunteers. In the winter, MVCS’s Winter Program is designed to get our students excited about winter in the outdoors, both on and off campus. Students have the opportunity to explore skiing and snowboarding at Waterville Valley or ice skating at Plymouth State, or remain on campus for afternoons of snowshoeing, sledding, winter campfires, basket weaving, winter crafts and more.
MVCS COMMUNITY MVCS families hail from 20 towns throughout central New Hampshire, often driving up to an hour to bring their children to this unique school. These families are devoted to the mission of MVCS and dedicated to its success. Parents, grandparents, siblings, uncles, aunts, community members, and students themselves contribute countless hours of service to the school. The volunteer-based Family Committee organizes volunteers, facilitates between families and the school administration, and builds community among the families at MVCS. Not only does volunteering at MVCS benefit our teachers and students, it strengthens our school community, bringing our families together in meaningful ways and building relationships that often carry on outside of school functions. With the advent of Covid-19 and its concomitant challenges, MVCS families raised 100% of the funds and volunteer labor to construct five semi-permanent outdoor shelters, enabling teachers to extend the learning season outdoors. In the Fall of 2020, MVCS was in- person every day, with students being exclusively taught outside through mid-November. In addition to providing an essential service to the school, volunteering provides an opportunity for children to participate in a community act, teaching them the value and power of their own work, and investing in their schoolyard landscape. Families are asked to contribute at least 10 hours of school service per child per school year. Whether they are spreading wood chips, raking trails, cleaning classrooms, teaching quilt or basket making, chaperoning alpine skiing for our Winter Program, or building the annual MVCS float for the local holiday parade, the families’ commitment to the MVCS mission is critical to the school’s success.
The greatest gifts we
can give our children
are the roots of
responsibility and the
wings of
independence.
-Maria Montessori
LOCATION: PLYMOUTH, NH Mountain Village Charter School is currently located on a 38-acre parcel at 13 NH Route 25 on the rural outskirts of Plymouth, New Hampshire. The campus encompasses a variety of ecosystems, including forest, marsh, field, and river frontage. Our Lower Elementary indoor classrooms and administrative offices are housed in a 2,000 square foot modular building. Upper Elementary and Middle School classrooms are located down the hill in a multi-use building. A variety of outdoor classrooms, nature trails, and play spaces around the property complement the indoor spaces and are used year-round. Although the school presently operates in leased buildings and outdoor spaces, it will move to its recently purchased nearby river-front property when construction of an indoor and outdoor school facility is completed. About 40 miles north of the state capitol, Plymouth is a university town, home to Plymouth State University. Nestled between the foot of the White Mountains and the Lakes Region, it is surrounded by smaller, rural towns. Along Main Street, you will find a variety of restaurants and cafes, boutique shops, outdoor retailers, amazing second-hand shops and the historical Flying Monkey, a local concert and movie venue. The majesty of the White Mountains and the beauty of the Lakes Region makes Plymouth an attractive destination year-round for visitors looking to take advantage of the great outdoors. Over a thousand miles of hiking trails run throughout the Whites and just to the south, Lake Winnepesauke and its smaller neighbor Squam Lake, provide endless opportunities for sailing, fishing, and other water activities. Just around the corner from Plymouth is Rumney Rocks, world-renowned for its rock climbing and bouldering; just 20 minutes northwest will take you to Green Woodlands, a free system of over 50 km of wilderness cross-country ski trails and over 70km of mountain biking trails. For alpine skiing, Loon, Waterville, and Ragged mountain resorts are all within a 30 minute drive; or skin up Tenney Mountain, a local ski hill, to enjoy your solitude atop this local jewel. Plymouth is also a short drive to major cities of the northeast corridor, providing access to all the resources these have to offer- Boston (2hrs), Montreal (4hrs), Burlington (2hrs), Portland (2hrs), New York (5hrs).
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES • An opportunity to expand an innovative, growing school and create relationships with other like- minded institutions, locally, regionally, and nationally and to work with the Board of Trustees to develop MVCS’ path-breaking educational approach into a replicable curriculum • An opportunity to guide teacher development to ensure that MVCS curriculum continues to be relevant in a dynamic world • An opportunity to work with the dedicated Board of Trustees to further land development and facility construction on the new MVCS campus and pursue a Capital Campaign • The opportunity to work in an intimate school environment and prioritize frequent communication with and among students, parents, and teachers to generate steadfast and long-lasting relationships • An opportunity to work closely with the Board of Trustees in all areas of school leadership; and with the Family Committee to plan events to ensure community and volunteerism among MVCS families • The challenge of expanding educational and extracurricular programming on a limited federally- funded budget • The challenge of ensuring positive educational outcome assessments in all domains of the school’s educational program, while maintaining a dedication to the school’s Montessori and nature-based curriculum • The challenge of preparing for a move to a new campus and facility while continuing to successfully run the day-to-day operations of MVCS
An education capable of saving humanity is no small undertaking.
-Maria Montessori
DESIRED QUALITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS
The MVCS Head of School wears many hats and fills many roles. Candidates that are most likely to
advance will demonstrate many of the following:
• An advanced degree in education or a relevant field, or commensurate experience
• A leadership approach that will provide an atmosphere free of any bias in which teachers and
students can achieve their maximum potential
• A desire to promote a school culture in alignment with the school’s mission and educational
program among students, faculty and staff
• A passion for the outdoors and a desire to share this enthusiasm with the staff and students of
MVCS, regardless of season or weather
• A commitment to the Montessori philosophy and practice and Nature-based education, including
the concomitant issues of peace, social justice, and equity
• A flexibility and can-do attitude to face everyday challenges with patience, determination, grace,
and good humor, modeling positive behavior for students and faculty
• A history of educational leadership (3 years or more), successful teaching in a small institution,
and a commitment to quality in academic programs
• A solid understanding of NH special education and section 504 laws
• Fluency and currency in the emerging challenges and opportunities for charter schools in New
Hampshire and nationally
• Prior leadership in nonprofit organizations and willingness to work with Trustees and Family
Committee to implement fundraising activities
• A commitment to maintain highly effective relationships with administration and teachers from
local SAU48 and all other sending school districts
• Experience hiring and developing faculty and staff and assessing teaching effectiveness
• Familiarity with Department of Education reporting and Special Education administration
• Familiarity with enrollment management/student recruitment and retention, campus safety and
health oversight (including COVID policy implementation); and interactions with school landlords
and shared tenantsTO APPLY Interested and qualified candidates can submit the following documents as pdfs: • A cover letter expressing their interest in this particular position • A current résumé (with three professional references) • A one-page statement of leadership philosophy or a relevant writing sample To the MVCS search committee at: hiring@mountainvillagecharterschool.org
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