About Us | Head of School Search

Dear MSGH Community,

The MSGH Board of Trustees has three fundamental responsibilities: 1) to establish and guide a mission driven strategic vision for the school, 2) to ensure impact and sustainability through the stewarding of the school’s financial resources, and 3) to select and manage our Head of School, who is charged with carrying out the important work of providing an authentic Montessori education in accordance with the standards of the Association Montessori Internationale. Over the last year, in addition to its ordinary work, the Board has been specifically engaged in the third of these responsibilities- selecting our Head of School.

In fulfilling this responsibility, the Board of Trustees took care to listen to all of our constituencies and pursued every option and opportunity available. We assembled a Search Committee comprised of current and alumni parents, current and former staff, and current and former members of the Board of Trustees. We engaged the staff and our families in the search process, taking into consideration your thoughts, opinions, and values. The Search Committee completed a thorough search and presented two highly qualified candidates who were introduced to staff, families and the full Board of Trustees. Through site visits we had the opportunity to observe, converse with and experience one another. We requested your feedback following their school visits and are so grateful for how many of you took the time to share your thoughts.

The Board found both candidates to be remarkable, respectful, warm, and accomplished educators, and those sentiments were echoed by the staff members and families who responded so thoughtfully to the post visit surveys. We have been so fortunate to have them as candidates.  We have also been so fortunate to have had our current Head of School, Mary McHale, at MSGH’s helm for the past five years — stewarding stability, growth, and our very special culture, and serving in her uniquely remarkable way as a foundational part of our MSGH community for almost 30 years.

It is in this spirit, and in keeping with the Board’s responsibilities to evaluate all options before making a final selection, that we are delighted to share the wonderful news that we have retained our outstanding head of school, Mary McHale.  Notwithstanding the immense qualifications of both candidates, the Board believes that Mary continues to be the right person to serve in this role at this time in our journey and is very excited about this wonderful opportunity. We recognize that this news may be surprising, but we truly believe it is the right decision for our school at this time. The Board is thrilled to continue partnering with Mary on behalf of our amazing school and community, and it is our hope that you are equally excited by this unexpected development.

We are deeply grateful for your participation, patience, and respect for the search process. We have extended our gratitude to each of the candidates for their time, commitment, and appreciation of our school, and it is our hope to continue building our relationship with them, especially considering how well received they were by our school community. We want to once again thank the Head of School Search Committee, whose time, effort and commitment to MSGH was displayed through their diligence, thoughtfulness and excellence.

The Board of Trustees are volunteers dedicated to MSGH who are deeply committed to serving the MSGH community. The entirety of this search process has been incredibly important, as the Board has learned so much and gathered valuable information which will continue to inform our work going forward. We want to thank you for the trust you place in us to steward MSGH and its culture and mission now and for future generations.

The MSGH Board of Trustees.

Letter from Mary McHale

Dear MSGH Families,

I am so deeply grateful to MSGH’s Board of Trustees for their steadfast support of me over the last five years. Their dedication to stewarding MSGH so that it is the best it can be for current families, as well as safeguarding it for future generations impresses me to no end. They do not shy away from hard work and as a group of volunteers they collaborate thoughtfully and thoroughly in all that they do. Their planning and execution of the HOS Search was no exception.

The process has perhaps unfolded and culminated in an unexpected way. That said, I am immensely excited to be where I am professionally (and personally). Other than being a parent, my work in Montessori, and particularly at MSGH, is undoubtedly the centerpiece of my life. I am very happy to be continuing in the role of MSGH’s HOS. I move forward with energy and enthusiasm to serve our children, families, and staff. I love this community and the place it occupies in the world, both physically and conceptually. Each day, we welcome children into our carefully prepared school environment and offer them experiences that are just right for where they are on their developmental journeys. Joy and respect are the cornerstones on which we base everything we do, and they guide the culture of our thriving community.

Please feel free to connect with me, either directly, or through the Main Office to schedule some time. I look forward to our continued collaboration on behalf of your precious children.

Sincerely,
Mary