Thanks for a Great Year

As we approach the end of this school year and anticipate with great joy Josie Holford’s official July 1 arrival at PDS, I want to thank all of you—parents, students, faculty, administrators and trustees—for the trust you placed in me and the remarkable opportunity you gave me to serve the school in a very different capacity.

I’ve learned so much about the complex operation of a school, and gained an appreciation for how multi-faced is the work of an independent school head. In some ways, my tasks this year as acting head of school echoed all of the essential components of teaching, which have been developed over my more than quarter century of experience in the classroom: the importance of good management; the need to listen; the value of collaboration and the complementary requirement of being able to say “no.” During this past year I found that my particular challenge as acting head was how to balance an equation that involves many voices, many demands and not enough time. But I also found that the head of PDS is able to rely on the expertise, experience and goodwill of several key constituent groups. For example, I’ve learned how hard a board of trustees needs to work to be a true support to the head, and our board worked hard and was very supportive! Our wonderful parents’ organization plays a vital role in creating the sense of community that is a keystone of the school, and I’ve gained a new appreciation of all their efforts. Most of all, I’ve learned how critical a strong and capable administrative team is to the work of the school—I had a terrific team!

Even as I thank you for the past year’s invaluable experience, I know that my heart belongs to teaching, and I feel it more intensely now than ever. I look forward to my return to the upper school as its head and to being in a classroom in the middle of the kids, which I expect to do next fall in the ninth- and tenth-grade history courses (during Karen Nichols’ maternity leave). I return to the upper school invigorated, energized and ready for our next chapter at PDS!

I eagerly welcome Josie Holford’s leadership as we continue moving the whole school forward. I am confident that her wealth of knowledge and thoughtfulness as well as her sense of fun and love of all she does will help create an even more vibrant and distinctive academic and social environment here at PDS.

Have a safe and enjoyable summer and see you in September!

Sincerely,

Liz Vinogradov
Acting Head of School