Head of School Chase Collegiate School

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Head of School
Leadership Opportunity
July 2014
Chase Collegiate School Waterbury, Connecticut
440 Students
Pre-K – 12th Grade
www.chasecollegiate.org
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OVERVIEW
Chase Collegiate School in Waterbury, Connecticut seeks an inspiring and dynamic Head
of School to lead a community of 54 faculty members and 440 students in PreKindergarten through 12th grade. The School is an independent, coeducational, college
preparatory school serving students from 43 Connecticut communities. With extensive
facilities on 47 wooded acres, Chase offers small classes and a challenging curriculum in
a day school environment. Chase Collegiate School traces its roots back nearly 150 years
and has a well-earned, excellent reputation in Waterbury and the surrounding towns. The
next Head of School will find a school striving to be the best it can be by intentionally
adjusting pedagogy, curriculum, and assessments to ensure that a Chase education is
transformative and relevant. Chase offers an exciting, engaging professional atmosphere
and a compelling sense of community among faculty, staff, parents and the student body.
With the departure of Head of School John Fixx in June 2013, Joseph Hadam, Chase’s
Academic Dean, will serve as Interim Head of School for the 2013-2014 school year.
During the past decade, the School has successfully changed its name and made
substantial capital improvements, including the new Upper School Wing and upgrades to
every major campus building. The result has been a resurgence of pride and sense of
accomplishment. During challenging economic times, Chase’s endowment more than
tripled in size, from $3 million to over $11 million. Cornerstone Campaign Two, the
largest capital campaign ever undertaken in the history of the School, surpassed its goal
of $15 million.
MISSION STATEMENT
We educate tomorrow’s leaders and inspire in each student a lifelong passion for
learning, personal achievement, and contribution to the community. To fulfill our mission
we:
• Select bright, intellectually curious, motivated, and resourceful students of diverse
backgrounds and interests who are eager to join our community;
• Stretch students to reach their intellectual, ethical, creative, social, and athletic
potential;
• Attract and support a dedicated and talented faculty with a shared passion for
educating the whole child;
• Develop graduates who write well, speak with clarity and confidence, think
critically and analytically, and possess intellectual curiosity;
• Foster respect, courtesy, responsibility, kindness;
• Promote service to the community through active citizenship and concern for the
welfare of others;
• Encourage family commitment to the life of the School;
• Cultivate lifelong stewardship and support for the School’s distinguished history
and traditions.
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THE SCHOOL
Chase Collegiate was founded in 1865 as the Collegiate Institute for Young Ladies,
which later changed its name to The St. Margaret's School for Girls. The McTernan
School for Boys was founded in 1912. In 1972, these two distinguished institutions
merged, becoming St. Margaret’s-McTernan, a non-religious, coeducational day school
with a shared tradition of nurturing academic achievement and personal growth. In 2005,
St. Margaret’s-McTernan changed its name to Chase Collegiate School. The new name
honors the Chase family, which helped to found both St.
Margaret’s and McTernan, and preserves some of the
original name by which the school was known. Chase
Collegiate consciously preserves the strengths of its parent
schools’ traditions.
Chase seeks to develop the whole student, offering academic
rigor, extracurricular enrichment, and successful and varied
interscholastic athletics. The faculty and staff encourage
students to explore new ideas and to take the initiative to
pursue their goals. The result is a motivated and passionate
student body that is challenged not only by the School’s
rigorous academic programs but also by dedicated members
of the faculty. Chase has been fortunate throughout the years
to have an extraordinary faculty who are not only gifted and
talented in their subject areas, but are also generous,
compassionate, and principled human beings. They
foster a collaborative, vibrant learning environment, and
Chase at a Glance
help students reach their full potential.
A key strength of Chase is that faculty engage as
children develop over many years into responsible,
mature young adults. At any entry point, a new
student is welcomed and quickly becomes a valued
member of the Chase community. In the Lower
School, children grow in an environment that focuses
on the needs of the whole child, facilitates selfdiscovery, and develops social skills and academic
self-confidence to ensure a lifelong love of learning.
As they enter the Middle School, students begin to
take more responsibility for their studies and are
taught to organize, synthesize, and integrate
information while developing a strong sense of
personal awareness. Once they reach the Upper
Enrollment: 440 Students
Average class size: 11-13
Student-teacher ratio: 8:1
Students of color: 19%
Faculty: 54
Faculty with advanced degrees: 87%
Average teaching tenure: 15 years
Endowment: $11M
Annual Operating Budget: $9,137,000
Debt: $10,200,000
Most recent capital giving: $1,228,000
Most recent Annual Fund: $617,000
Financial Aid budget: $3.7M
Students receiving FA: 49%
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School, students are guided to fuller maturity as academic and personal skills are
further refined. The faculty emphasizes regular, age-appropriate communications
with families as well as students. The School’s emphasis on superior academic
preparation means Chase’s seniors are accepted into many of the nation’s finest colleges
and universities. The matriculation list is available on the College Counseling section
of the school website, www.chasecollegiate.org. Chase graduates make a seamless
transition to the demands of college because of the outstanding preparation received
at Chase.
THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM
The Chase faculty is committed to developing an outstanding curriculum across the
school divisions that is challenging, creative, relevant, and stimulating. The faculty and
administration undertake continuous assessment and evaluation of the curriculum to
assure sequence, structure, and creativity in the learning process. Public speaking, an
important part of the curriculum, begins in the Lower School with students presenting at
weekly meetings and continues in the Middle School, through the formal Declamation
process, and into Upper School, where each senior delivers a Senior Speech as part of the
graduation requirements.
THE LOWER SCHOOL (138 STUDENTS, PRE-K – 5TH GRADE)
The Chase Lower School combines an interactive academic program with a socialemotional curriculum known as The Responsive Classroom®. This curriculum enables
children from three years of age through grade
five to share the values of honesty, fairness, and
respect, and to learn the skills of cooperation,
assertion, responsibility, empathy, and selfcontrol. The academic program places
emphasis on literacy skills, as well as on both
the process and product of mathematical
thinking. The pond as well as the gardens
provide hands-on learning for the exploring of
vegetables, native plants, birds, and insects.
THE MIDDLE SCHOOL (108 STUDENTS, GRADES 6-8)
The Chase Middle School values collaborative learning, an essential 21st-century skill for
a global, interconnected world. Lively classroom environments develop from resourceful,
creative teachers who prioritize learning how to learn – and having fun with it.
Collaborative learning and interactive technology enhance the classroom experience and
aid teachers in providing new ways of engaging students. Students transition from a
sixth grade year, where they move from class to class in pods, to the seventh and
eighth grade years where they cycle through five academic courses daily plus fine
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and performing arts and gym. The fall outdoor education program, physical
education program, interscholastic sports, and community service all present students
with physical and personal challenges that improve their sense of cooperation and
community.
In Chase’s Middle School, social, physical and emotional challenges become
springboards for learning and growth – and are central to the mission of educating the
whole person. Students emerge from the Middle School as confident, enthusiastic
learners and independent thinkers, capable of navigating the challenges and demands of
the Upper School.
THE UPPER SCHOOL (194 STUDENTS, GRADES 9-12)
The capstone experience occurs in the Upper School, Grades 9-12, where writing, critical
thinking, effective classroom discussion, research, and problem solving are taught across
disciplines and departments. Students actively participate in their education to share,
satisfy, and deepen their intellectual curiosity. Distribution requirements ensure a sound
basis in English, math, science, history, and world languages, and offer a wide and
diverse choice of electives, particularly in the junior and senior years. Nineteen Advanced
Placement college credit courses, advanced tutorials, and independent study projects
enable students of varied interests to challenge themselves in preparation for the rigors of
college.
Teachers engage students in classroom
discussions and make coursework
individually
challenging
and
approachable. Students are taught to
think
deeply
about
important
contemporary and historical subjects. As
they progress through the Upper School,
they have a choice of courses that rival
those at the university level. As in
college, homework is not busy-work, but
rather requires critical and analytical
thinking. The philosophy is to ground students in critical values while educating them
thoroughly and rigorously in the core academic disciplines and providing extensive
opportunities to participate in sports and the arts. Chase fuels students’ intellectual
curiosity and civic awareness by offering the choices and flexibility that allow young
people to grow as individuals. A detailed Upper School curriculum guide is available on
the School’s website, www.chasecollegiate.org.
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THE FINE AND PERFORMING ARTS
Students in all three divisions explore the exciting world
of the visual, performing, and musical arts and are
encouraged to stretch both their abilities and their
imaginations. A tour of the campus reveals sculptures,
photographs, and fine paintings on display. The Fulkerson
Arts building houses many of these and serves as the main
art facility on campus, and includes a black room, several
open art studios, and a digital photography lab. As
students progress to the Middle School from weekly
music lessons and short drama performances in the Lower
School, they move upwards and onwards to vocal and
instrumental instruction as well as a rich musical theater
program, all the while, selecting a number of visual arts
courses working with sculpture, painting and drawing. Upper School students are
more than prepared to participate in a stimulating and all-encompassing arts
curriculum. From “Mixed Media”, “Black and White Photography”, “Film Study”
and Central American-themed “Ceramics” classes to rock and choral ensembles, and
the competitive Highlander Theater Company, Upper School Students never lack a
creative outlet.
ATHLETICS AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Athletics are vital to the success of the Chase Collegiate School and are offered to
students in all three divisions, with Lower School students participating in intramurals.
With 42 interscholastic teams and 13 different sports, students can find their athletic
interest and niche easily. The School supports a competitive athletics program that
teaches discipline, teamwork, leadership, and competition. The mission statement
stresses the importance of developing the "full"
student; in the athletics program, coaches strive to
develop the “full” athlete to enable them to have an
impact on several programs. At Chase through its
“no-cut” policy, athletics fosters camaraderie and
school spirit and bolsters the sense of community
and the common goal of creating lifelong leaders.
Many of the faculty are involved through coaching
at all levels, so the entire community connects in
unique ways.
CAMPUS, SETTING AND FACILITIES
Chase Collegiate School is situated on a 47-acre campus with facilities that include
academic buildings, such as the newly renovated Upper School and the Fulkerson Arts
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Center. The Goss Field House, “Home of the Highlanders,” is the main athletic facility
on campus. Every season, multiple teams practice on the courts, fields, and in the gym.
Waterbury, the fifth largest city in Connecticut, is the home of 110,360 citizens of diverse
ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds. Conveniently located at the junction of Routes
8 and I-84, the city was once known as the "Brass City" because of its long history as the
center of the nation’s brass industry.
Today, Waterbury is known for its advanced technology capabilities, historic
architecture, and most importantly, its strong communities and neighborhoods. The city
of Waterbury is conveniently located between Boston and New York City, and southwest
of Hartford, the state capital.
GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT
Chase Collegiate School is governed by a self-perpetuating twenty-four-member
Board of Trustees composed of parents, alumni, and community leaders. The Board
Committees include: Advancement, Buildings and Grounds, Committee on Trustees,
Finance, Head Evaluation, Support and Compensation, Investment, Long Range
Planning, and Marketing.
Chase successfully completed the most recent Capital Campaign, Cornerstone
Campaign Two, raising more than $15 million. The Campaign represents the single
largest fundraising initiative in the history of the School. Launched in 2006,
highlights of the Campaign include:
• The School’s endowment has doubled in size
since 2005, so that it stands at over $11 million
today.
• The renovated and expanded Upper School can
now accommodate 220 students, enabling 60%
growth in Upper School enrollment; the building
now features many environmentally responsible
aspects: passive solar design, high efficiency
products and mechanicals and 288 solar panels.
• The Athletics program was strengthened by the
renovation and reconfiguration of the playing
fields, construction of dugouts for softball and
baseball fields and acquisition of three new
rowing shells for the crew program.
The current Strategic Plan was approved by the Board of Trustees in 2009 and is
available on the Chase website, www.chasecollegiate.org. The school-brand qualities
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of Confidence, Courage, and Compassion, distilled in a recent two year all-school
discussion, provide enhanced focus for characterizing the Chase student experience.
STRENGTHS OF THE SCHOOL
• Strong and pervasive sense of community and openness on campus
• Kind, cordial, confident, cooperative students
• Philosophy and practice that no student is allowed to “fall through the cracks”
• Strong, nurturing relationships among teachers and students
• Strong academic foundation
• Active encouragement for students to develop individual talents while taking
appropriate risks
• Wealth of opportunities in sports, arts, extra-curricular activities
• Exemplary public speaking program
• Three divisions but sense of one school
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE NEXT HEAD OF SCHOOL
A Vision for the Future
With its 150th anniversary in two years, Chase Collegiate
has a sense of history that is cherished by its graduates,
teachers, and parents and that adds richness to the
School. The next Head will need to connect with that
sense of history while also ensuring that the School’s
vision is forward thinking, compelling, and informed by
best practices and powerful, new educational
innovations.
Leadership and Professional Development
The new Head will have the enviable opportunity to
empower and deploy the talented administrative team by
creating a shared vision and a common sense of
direction. The administrators value the opportunity to
work together. The feeling of camaraderie is apparent
and can be the foundation for effective team building that
will benefit students and teachers. The next Head will have the opportunity and
challenge of refining and extending a systematic approach to evaluating teachers and
administrators while connecting those efforts to professional development.
Student Body and Enrollment
The students almost uniformly express pride at their involvement with Chase, respect for
their teachers, and satisfaction with their educations. With this upbeat and optimistic
spirit, though, comes a worry about the overall nationwide trends in enrollment in private
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schools for the past few years. In the Lower School, a combination of a weaker economy
and declining demographics has reduced enrollment so that each grade now has only one
section in the earlier grades. The Middle School has maintained its enrollment numbers.
The next Head will want to ensure that the School’s outreach efforts to build enrollment
are planned and executed exceptionally well. Internally, the Head will want to work with
others at Chase to reduce the attrition out of the eighth grade and to continue attracting a
diverse group of ninth graders. Aided by the Upper School wing, enrollment in the Upper
School is now at the level desired, though the amount of financial aid is a concern.
Managing the composition of the students who enroll is as important as increasing the
number of students. The next Head will want to work with the Board and school leaders
to clarify the type of students Chase seeks to serve and the support it will provide to
bright students with some learning differences.
External Marketing and Community Involvement
The Board is actively working to find better ways of marketing the School to families,
and the excitement about a new Head of School will enliven the admissions picture.
Throughout its long history, Chase Collegiate has been intertwined with the City of
Waterbury, so there is an earnest desire for the School to be constructively and visibly
engaged in the city. The next Head of School, with the help of the excellent division
heads and other senior leaders, will have the opportunity to develop ways to connect
more fully and visibly with Waterbury and the
surrounding communities.
THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Chase Collegiate’s Head of School is the operational
leader and academic administrator of the School,
reporting to the Board of Trustees. He/she executes the
mission of the School and carries out the policies
determined in conjunction with the Board. The Head of
School’s responsibilities include leadership of the
academic program and curriculum, oversight of
administration and management of faculty and staff, and
prudent stewardship and advancement of the School’s
financial and physical assets. The exciting challenges
and opportunities for the new Head will require sound
judgment, strategic thinking, energy and a thorough
understanding and appreciation of the educational and
socio-emotional needs of children.
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TO APPLY
Interested and qualified candidates should submit electronically in one e-mail and as
separate documents, preferably as PDFs, the following materials:
•
•
•
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Cover letter expressing interest in the Chase Collegiate School Head of School
position
Current résumé
Statement of educational philosophy and practice
List of five references with name, phone number and email address of each to:
Charlotte Rea
Senior Search Consultant
510-508-6648
[email protected]
Robert Fricker
Senior Search Consultant
[email protected]
CARNEY, SANDOE & ASSOCIATES
44 Broomfield Street
Boston, MA 02108