Start date: July 1, 2021 - www.St.CatherineS.org St. Catherine'S SChool riChmond, Virginia head of SChool
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St. Catherine’s School
Richmond, Virginia
Head of School
Start Date: July 1, 2021
www.st.catherines.org
Mission Motto
St. Catherine’s School provides a rigorous “What we keep we lose; only what we give
education that prepares girls with diverse remains our own.”
perspectives for a lifetime of learning, leadership,
and service in a global community. Fast Facts (2019-2020 school year)
Year established: 1890
Core Values Total enrollment: 980 girls
• Pursuing academic excellence Students of color: 19.4%
• Developing character ZIP Codes represented: 57+
• Nurturing spiritual growth Total faculty and staff: 233
• Celebrating individuals Faculty with advanced degrees: 47%
• Building community Students receiving financial assistance: 22%
Endowment: $47.7 million
Overview
A leader in girls’ education since its founding in 1890, St. Catherine’s School in Richmond, Virginia,
seeks an engaging and innovative Head of School to lead a community of nearly 1,000 girls age 3
through grade 12. St. Catherine’s is deeply committed to developing strong, smart, and confident girls
who are prepared for a lifetime of learning, leadership, and service. The next Head of School will be
committed to educating, encouraging, and empowering young women for the challenges of the 21st
century. St. Catherine’s combines a warm and supportive learning environment with a well-rounded
and challenging curriculum designed to inspire girls to develop courage, explore their passions, and
expand their hearts and minds as they prepare for independence and success in college and in life.
St. Catherine’s is one of the six member Episcopal schools of Church Schools in the Diocese of
Virginia. The School embraces a diversity of backgrounds, nationalities, faith traditions, experiences,
and perspectives and cherishes the inclusive nature of its community.
St. Catherine’s takes particular pride in its 21st-century curriculum that is intentionally girl-centered,
focused on both the academic and social-emotional development of girls. At each level, the program
is supported by the growing body of research on how girls thrive. St. Catherine’s is guided by its
commitment to do what is best for girls, cultivating an environment where girls thrive and experience
joy as they grow intellectually, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Dr. Terrie Hale Scheckelhoff, who has served as Head of School at St. Catherine’s since 2012, will
retire at the end of the 2019-2020 school year, her eighth year of service. Under Dr. Scheckelhoff’s
leadership, St. Catherine’s has flourished locally and nationally, achieving substantial growth,
progress, and financial strength. She leaves the School in excellent shape for a dynamic new leader
to take the reins.
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The next Head of School will join a community ready to welcome a leader who will cherish and nurture its deeply rooted traditions and its community while also championing St. Catherine’s as a national leader in forward-thinking education for girls. The successful candidate will be an experienced educational leader with an unwavering dedication to the School’s Mission. The next leader must be committed to preparing students for a global, technologically-advanced future and possess the ability to discern how to introduce and pace innovative change in collaboration with the faculty. This is an exceptional opportunity to lead an independent school with a commitment to excellence, growth, and service. School History St. Catherine’s (originally named the Virginia Randolph Ellett School) was founded in 1890 by Virginia Randolph Ellett. At that time, the world did not champion the merits of educating girls, but the School’s founder thought differently. She boldly blazed a path for girls to become prepared for higher education. She confronted the social conventions of the 19th century by forming a school for girls and developed an educational philosophy and progressive curriculum considered advanced for the time. Her emphasis on experiential learning and the importance of early childhood education are still embraced today. In 1917, the school was incorporated and moved to its present site in the Westhampton area of Richmond. In 1920, it became a member of Church Schools in the Diocese of Virginia (CSDV) and was renamed for St. Catherine, the patron saint of young women. In the same year, the School opened a boarding program to accompany the day school. In its 128-year history, St. Catherine’s has had 11 Heads of School. During those years, the School has maintained its essential mission and traditions while evolving with the times. In 1964, the School became racially integrated and began coordinating some of its programming with St. Christopher’s School, a neighboring school for boys that is also one of the six member Episcopal schools in the The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 3 search@carneysandoe.com | www.carneysandoe.com
CSDV system. In 1981, St. Catherine’s built its first fine arts center and upgraded its arts program. This milestone was followed by a new science center and improvements in STEM education. In 2003, the School opened its 145-acre Goochland Campus, which is used for both athletics and outdoor education. In the same year, it completed the remarkable 70,000-square-foot Kenny Sports and Fitness Center. In 2005, the Board of Governors announced the decision to phase out the boarding program by 2008. A $3 million anonymous gift in 2007 enabled construction to begin on a multi-year renovation project, which ultimately resulted in the complete renovation of Ellett, Bacot, and Washington Halls—converting former boarding dormitories into state-of-the-art classrooms, labs, and meeting spaces, and expanding the Dining Hall. In addition, the Science facility was more than doubled with the new Armfield Science Center (2012) to support a new STEM program. These expansions enabled the day school student population to grow considerably from 2008 to now. In the past two decades, St. Catherine’s has progressed considerably as a 21st-century school focused on the education of girls. Developments include a 1:1 laptop program (grades 7-12), renovating classrooms, libraries and labs into flexible learning spaces, the teaching of Mandarin Chinese and Spanish which begins in the Lower School, adding in-depth learning programs and leadership opportunities, joining the Online School for Girls, committing to environmental sustainability, formalizing its diversity efforts, and expanding its focus on technology and innovation. The School St. Catherine’s is proud of its history, traditions, and Episcopal identity. The present-day School is guided by four strategic principles. First, St. Catherine’s is girl centered—every decision is based on the what’s best for girls, so that all students can reach their full potential; the School proudly The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 4 search@carneysandoe.com | www.carneysandoe.com
embraces its biggest differentiator. Second, the School deeply values remarkable intellect—building on its legacy of rigorous academics, St. Catherine’s equips each girl to compete and thrive in a complex, ever-changing world. Third, St. Catherine’s values a life of meaning—girls are provided the skills and tools they need to pursue lives of promise, purpose, and fulfillment. Fourth, the School is committed to upholding a tradition of strength—being good stewards of its resources to enable St. Catherine’s to flourish into the future. In short, St. Catherine’s is fully committed to provide each girl a transformative girl-centered education that will equip her with essential skills. It strives to cultivate intellectual habits that spark joy in learning through energetic inquiry, analytical and creative thinking, and continuous striving to reach new heights. It aims to teach students to live with integrity, responsibility, confidence, compassion, and respect for themselves and others. Just a few blocks away resides St. Christopher’s School, a JK-12 all-boys Episcopal day school, with whom St. Catherine’s shares a compelling educational partnership. As students grow and mature, St. Catherine’s and St. Christopher’s collaborate to provide distinctive, age-appropriate academic and extracurricular programs and opportunities that bring boys and girls together. The Saints Coordinate Program combines the benefits of a focused, single-sex education with elements of a coed experience that build over time, enabling boys and girls to flourish. In the Upper School, the academic day and courses are fully integrated while leadership positions, advisory relationships, and school traditions remain separate. In addition to providing rigorous academics and dynamic extracurricular activities, St. Catherine’s helps each girl to develop her self-awareness, self-advocacy skills, and a sense of empowerment. The overall goal is to help girls become independent adults, trusted leaders, dynamic innovators, and engaged world citizens. Just as important as academic success is the health and wellness of each girl, which has become an area of focus and leadership for the School. The age 3 to grade 12 health The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 5 search@carneysandoe.com | www.carneysandoe.com
College Acceptances
St. Catherine’s graduates attend many of
the most selective colleges and universities
in the nation. A sampling of acceptances for
Graduates (2015-2019) includes:
American University
Boston College
Brown University
Bowdoin University
College of William and Mary
Columbia University
Cornell University
Davidson College
Dickinson College
Duke University
Elon University
George Washington University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgetown University
Harvard University
Johns Hopkins University
James Madison University
Kenyon College
Middlebury College
Miami University, Ohio
Northwestern University
Occidental College
Princeton University and wellness program provides additional opportunities for
Sewanee: The University of the South the girls to develop life skills that pave the way for greater
Skidmore College success in college and beyond.
Southern Methodist University
Spelman College
Stanford University St. Catherine’s is a member of the National Association
Trinity College of Episcopal Schools (NAES), the National Association of
Tulane University Independent Schools (NAIS), the Virginia Association of
Texas Christian University Independent Schools (VAIS), the National Coalition of Girls
United States Naval Academy
University of California, Berkeley Schools, and the Online School for Girls and One Schoolhouse.
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Colorado, Boulder
University of Georgia
University of Hawaii Academics
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill St. Catherine’s academic program is divided into three
University of Oregon
University of Pennsylvania
divisions—Lower, Middle, and Upper School.
University of Richmond
University of South Carolina The Lower School (age 3 to grade 4) carefully shapes the
University of St. Andrews beginning of each girl’s educational journey. Teachers
University of Tennessee motivate young minds with hands-on learning and generous
University of Toronto
University of Vermont attention. In the Lower School, the inventive Imagination
University of Virginia Station is stocked with educational toys that allow girls to
University of Washington tinker, build, and explore early engineering and physics
Virginia Commonwealth University concepts. The Lower School consciously focuses on helping
Virginia Tech girls build their skills in critical thinking, creativity, engineering,
Wake Forest University
Washington and Lee University computational thinking, character development (virtues
Yale University program), public speaking, and research aptitude.
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The Middle School (grades 5-8) is designed to nurture and challenge girls during early adolescence. The teachers guide students in their intellectual, emotional, and physical growth, supporting individual needs and encouraging their quest for knowledge and exploration. Girls are encouraged to ask questions, seek creative solutions, and take healthy risks. The Middle School explores the themes of voice and choice, honor, healthy friendships, inclusion, self-advocacy, and service learning. In addition to developing analytical and study skills, students are taught to be informed, responsible digital citizens—and to develop strong self-awareness. The learning all comes together in the Upper School (grades 9-12). The academic program provides a breadth of offerings, expert faculty, and a flexibility that allows students to pursue their interests in depth. Each girl’s educational experience is enhanced by opportunities to dive deeper into career exploration and craft a roadmap for her future. A strong advising program, close relationships with teachers both in and out of the classroom, engagement in the community, and self-reflection are central to this growth. The Upper School experience is further enhanced by the Coordinate Program with St. Christopher’s, in which girls and boys can select courses at either campus to fully customize their academic experiences. The Upper School offers a rigorous college preparatory curriculum, including 23 Advanced Placement (AP) courses along with signature programs in independent research and interdisciplinary studies. The School also offers an Intensive Studies Program (ISP) that provides girls the opportunity to create a personalized multi-year course of study, research, and service learning in entrepreneurship, global studies, STEM, or the arts. Their efforts culminate in a capstone project, such as working with businesses in China, programming and designing interactive video games, a study of the positive effects of music on all people, and a senior dance recital called “Overpowered: Formations and Interactions in Dance.” Other impressive academic opportunities include the junior summer internship program, X-term (a yearlong cohort with St. Christopher’s), and AP and honors-level computer science classes. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 7 search@carneysandoe.com | www.carneysandoe.com
The School integrates technology into teaching and learning. Middle and Upper School students have at their fingertips more than 25,000 hardcover books and 100,000 e-books and digital publications, as well as a myriad of online subscription databases to inform their studies and research. Three full-time librarians help the girls acquire research skills that will serve them well in higher education. Arts and Athletics St. Catherine’s views creativity as an essential skill that begins with an idea and takes shape through contemplation, discipline, and perseverance. The School’s vibrant arts program cultivates creative intelligence by offering a wide range of courses and opportunities at all levels. Of the girls in grades 5-12, 84% choose to participate in the arts beyond the required courses. The visual arts include courses in drawing, painting, ceramics, video, photography, and digital design. Upper School students can take AP Art History, as well as focus on building their portfolio for college review. St. Catherine’s students often win National Scholastic Arts Awards and get accepted into top arts programs at universities across the nation. A signature program is the School’s remarkable JK-12 Dance Program that helps girls build their skills in various dance disciplines over the years. In music, the School has 26 performing ensembles. The Middle and Upper Schools have coed theater groups with students from St. Christopher’s. Students also learn to compose, arrange, and perform original music. Throughout the year, numerous professional artists in the various disciplines visit campus to work with students. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 8 search@carneysandoe.com | www.carneysandoe.com
St. Catherine’s fields 40 teams in 14 sports for grades 7-12. Three out of four girls in grades 7-12 compete in athletics. Over the past decade alone, the teams have won 29 state titles and 54 League of Independent School championships. The School’s Kenny Sports and Fitness Center includes an eight-lane competitive pool with diving. In addition, 145 acres of fields support soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, and softball. The recently completed Performance Park featuring Julie Dayton Field at the southern end of the main campus provides a regulation size AstroTurf field for various sports, as well as Physical Education classes and year-round dry space for recess, outdoor play, and athletic competition. St. Catherine’s boasts the title of the most winning athletic program in the league for the last five years. Fall sports include cross-country, soccer, field hockey, tennis and volleyball. Winter sports include basketball, indoor track, swimming, diving, and squash. Spring sports include, lacrosse, golf, soccer, softball, and track and field. School Life In addition to its arts and athletics programs, St. Catherine’s offers vibrant after-school enrichment activities, clubs, and service outreach. Service learning and community engagement take place in all three divisions. The goal of the program is to cultivate leaders and engage in person-to-person service that fosters compassion and encourages students to address injustice and inequality. Spiritual life is at the core of the St. Catherine’s community. Its Episcopal identity guides the School in embracing all faith traditions and to respect the worth and dignity of all people. Chapel services are an integral part of community life at St. Catherine’s, and students and faculty in all divisions are invited to participate in leading worship as readers, speakers, musicians, acolytes, and ushers. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 9 search@carneysandoe.com | www.carneysandoe.com
Student health and wellness programs are as important as academic success at St. Catherine’s. It is important for girls of all ages to develop a strong sense of intellectual, emotional, physical, spiritual, and social well-being to prepare them for life. St. Catherine’s is also deeply committed to environmental sustainability. The School developed an aggressive environmental-stewardship strategy to cut costs that lower the base cost of operations without impacting teaching and learning. As part of its sustainability efforts, St. Catherine’s installed 600 solar panels and has several Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses in its fleet and a CNG gas station on campus. For these efforts, the School was awarded The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities 2016 Innovation & Leadership Award. Campus St. Catherine’s historic 16-acre main campus in Richmond, Virginia, is located in the city’s West End neighborhood and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Along with its gracious, historic buildings—all with upgraded state-of-the-art classrooms—the campus includes the 70,000-square-foot Kenny Sports and Fitness Center with a swimming pool and a rock climbing wall; the 16,000-square-foot Armfield Science Center; the Grace Branch Moore Arts Center; two libraries; a community garden; three playgrounds; and the Center for Early Childhood Education, including an outdoor classroom. The 145-acre campus in nearby Goochland County contains playing fields and areas for outdoor learning and exploration. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 10 search@carneysandoe.com | www.carneysandoe.com
Richmond, Virginia The capital of Virginia, Richmond is a city of 225,000 people situated in a growing metropolitan region of 1.3 million people. It is frequently recognized as one of the country’s most vibrant and thriving cities. Time magazine recently named Richmond as the second fastest-growing city in the country for millennials. According to the U.S. Census, Richmond’s regional population is expected to increase for years to come. Richmond’s future is recognized as extremely bright. A welcoming city with tree-lined neighborhoods, the area’s quality of life is exceptional by almost every measure. Richmond boasts more than 40 parks comprising more than 1,500 acres within the city. Outdoor recreation abounds, facilitating the region’s progress toward its stated goal of becoming the most physically active community in the nation. The James River winds around the region and runs through the downtown area. Miles of rafting, fishing, birding, biking, and riding trails contribute to Richmond’s designation as the Best River Town in America by Outside Magazine (2012). Moreover, its central location in the state places it within 100 miles of Washington, D.C., 100 miles from the Virginia coast, and 60 miles east of Charlottesville and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Richmond offers world-class visual and performing arts and boasts a vibrant arts district downtown. Residents and visitors enjoy nationally acclaimed museums, such as the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts with noteworthy collections of Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and Modern and Contemporary American art. The Richmond region also offers a year-round schedule of musical, theatrical, artistic, and dance performances, including the Richmond Ballet, Richmond Symphony, the Virginia Opera and the Virginia Repertory Theater. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 11 search@carneysandoe.com | www.carneysandoe.com
Near the riverfront is the Richmond National Battlefield Park Visitors Center and the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar, both housed in the former buildings of the Tredegar Iron Works, where much of the ordnance for the Civil War was produced. Other interesting local history museums include the Virginia Museum of History & Culture and The Valentine museum. Throughout the city are numerous historical buildings and monuments. Richmond’s River District has grown rapidly in recent years, and today the area is home to much of the city’s entertainment, dining, and nightlife activity, bolstered by the creation of a Canal Walk along the city’s former industrial canals. Richmond is also fast becoming known for its food scene, with more than 30 craft breweries and a growing number of eclectic restaurants in the Fan and Jackson Ward districts, the Church Hill neighborhood, and elsewhere around the city generating regional and national attention. Departures magazine named Richmond “The Next Great American Food City” in August 2014. The bountiful series of food, wine, street art, murals and music festivals further contribute to the lively food and arts scene. Today, Richmond’s economy is strong with the Greater Richmond area recently named the third-best city for business by MarketWatch, ranking behind only the Minneapolis and Denver areas and just above Boston. The area is home to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond as well as eight Fortune 500 headquarters and dozens of 21st century industries, including biotech, logistics, health and wellness, education, information technology services and entrepreneurial startups. The traditional areas of law, finance, and government are robust and contribute to the region’s growing and diverse economy. Virginia in general and the Richmond area in particular are home to a large number of colleges and universities, including the nationally renowned Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Union University, Randolph-Macon College, and the University of Richmond. The quality of life and the cost of living (6% below the national average) attract talent to supply the region’s growing workforce pipeline. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 12 search@carneysandoe.com | www.carneysandoe.com
Opportunities for the New Head of School
St. Catherine’s offers an exceptional opportunity for a dynamic new leader to build on the current
strengths of the School in moving the School forward in exciting and inspiring ways. The Board of
Governors is supportive and engaged, with clear succession planning in place. The finances are
sound, the faculty is deeply committed, and the students are bright and inquisitive. The campus is
striking with a recently completed Performance Park featuring Julie Dayton Field (May 2019) and
additional facilities to include a new Arts and Innovation Center that is currently in the quiet lead donor
fundraising phase. Parents are exceptionally supportive, and alumnae are equally committed. The
coordination with St. Catherine’s brother school, St. Christopher’s, offers compelling opportunities
for coed classes and extra-curricular activities.
By simultaneously celebrating St. Catherine’s Mission and Core Values and embracing the
opportunities and challenges of discerning what comprises a forward-looking education, St.
Catherine’s will continue to provide its students and families with a transformative, girl-centered,
values-based educational experience. While the benefits and opportunities afforded to the next Head
at St. Catherine’s remain compelling, the School also faces challenges that the next leader must be
able to address effectively. Those include:
• Partnering with the Board of Govenors in the middle of a capital campaign to fundraise, while also
being a highly visible presence on campus;
• Maintaining the right balance between the School’s academic rigor and the needs of an increased
student enrollment;
• Undertaking increased efforts to diversify the community, especially the faculty;
• Cultivating a strong sense of a “One School” community;
The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 13 search@carneysandoe.com | www.carneysandoe.com• Advancing the health and wellness initiative;
• Ensuring tuition remains affordable and competitive; and
• Nurturing the Episcopal identity, while continuing to welcome all faiths.
Desired Qualities and Qualifications
St. Catherine’s community seeks candidates who value and respect St. Catherine’s history, traditions,
and Episcopal identity. They should possess the proven leadership and educational background
to help the School continue its forward trajectory in preparing girls for the challenges of the 21st
century. The School seeks a Head who builds connections and fosters relationships through wisdom,
courage, and inspiration.
The School is interested in candidates who demonstrate the following qualities and qualifications:
• An inspirational, confident, and visionary leader;
• An educator who is personable, warm, visible, and dedicated to building community;
• A knowledgeable and articulate proponent of the value of an all-girls education;
• An effective fundraiser and friend raiser;
• An effective recruiter, who retains and supports excellent faculty and staff dedicated to the highest
standards;
• A collaborative manager who can build a team and delegate well;
• A steward who exhibits good decision-making processes and skills, as well as business acumen;
• An educator who possesses a growth mindset; and
• A leader who embraces the Episcopal identity of the School.
To Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should submit electronically in one email and as separate
documents (preferably PDFs) the following materials:
• A cover letter expressing their interest in this particular position;
• A current résumé;
• A one-page statement of educational or leadership philosophy and practice;
• A list of five professional references with name, phone number, and email address of each
(references will not be contacted without the candidate’s permission) to:
Marguerite Lloyd
Senior Consultant
marguerite.lloyd@carneysandoe.com
Peter O’Neill
Senior Consultant
peter.oneill@carneysandoe.com
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