Holton-Arms School Head of the Middle School

Holton-Arms scHool

BetHesdA, mArylAndHeAd of tHe middle scHool

July 2016holton-arms.edu

tHe PositionI will find a way or make one. This is the fitting motto of the Holton-Arms School, where a community of 660 determined girls in grades 3-12 are inspired to fulfill their goals and contribute positively to their societies. Determination and resilience are only part of the portrait of Holton-Arms, which is also warm, friendly, and joyful. Students are happy and cared for; each girl is treated as an individual and valued for her own contribution to the community. For more than a century, the school has provided dynamic programs in traditional academics, arts, and athletics with the underlying philosophy that education occurs not only in the mind, but also in the soul and the spirit. The community values consistency and order, celebrating its traditions while also embracing and pursuing creativity, freedom, and innovation. As one of its key distinctions, Holton-Arms champions diversity and is proud that its student body represents over 40% cultural diversity. Each member of the Holton-Arms community is a strong advocate for kindness, understanding, cooperation, and service.

At this time, the school seeks a new leader to head its Middle School division, effective July 2016. The successful candidate will be an energetic and accessible leader with strong communication skills who is passionate about working with girls at this specific grade level. The next Middle School Head will understand middle school development, value the middle school experience, and be a collaborative leader who values cohesion and collegiality. This is an exciting opportunity for an inspiring school leader to join this warm and welcoming community of learners.

scHool HistoryHolton-Arms School was founded in 1901 by Jessie Moon Holton and Carolyn Hough Arms, who set high academic standards for young women at a time that preceded women’s right to vote. The school featured small classes that ensured individualized attention for each student. Girls were inspired to explore new ideas and develop their full potential while giving back to the community. Holton-Arms opened on a campus in downtown DC, where it remained until 1963, when it moved to its current 57-acre River Road campus. The school’s expanded

1The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com

Mission Statement

Holton-Arms School cultivates the unique potential of young women through the “education not only of the mind, but of the soul and spirit.

Diversity Mission Statement

• Students: 660• Students of color: 38%• Foreign students: 2%• Students receiving financial aid: 25%• Graduates accepted to four-year

institutions: 100%• Faculty and staff: 175• Faculty with advanced degrees: 80%• Student/teacher ratio: 6:1

Vision

Inspiring young women to lead lives of positive influence.

The Holton-Arms School, within the context of its educational mission, seeks inclusion, equity, and pluralism in its policies, practices, and programs and teaches respect for the rights of all people.

Fast Facts


facilities allowed for increased enrollment, and over the next several decades the school grew in both size and reputation.

In the 1980s, the school placed greater emphasis on advanced academic courses and facilities improvements, adding facilities such as the Alice S. Marriott Library, a photography lab, art studio, art gallery, infirmary, and Advancement Center. The 1980s and 1990s saw an expanded focus on diversity, ecological concerns, ethics, and service. The 1990s and 2000s focused on enhanced curriculum in areas of math, science, and technology. The Centennial Building Project, which added a new science wing, expanded performing arts center, renovated academics, and a new track and field, was completed in 2004.

In the past few years, the school has created a Global Education Program and enhanced its STEM focus. It is one of the four founding members of the Online School for Girls. In 2012, the main entrance, administrative building, and dining room and kitchen were renovated. Today, Holton-Arms remains a school of high expectations. Rigorous academics and top-quality facilities ensure that each student can elicit her best possible potential and contribute to her global society.

tHe scHool Holton-Arms is deeply committed to providing a rigorous college preparatory program buttressed by a remarkable array of academic, artistic, and athletic choices at every stage of a student’s development. Through age-appropriate programs, the school creates scholars who are comfortable with open-ended learning. Holton-Arms celebrates the various perspectives that contribute to each girl’s worldview, valuing the diversity of opinions and backgrounds that form a richer whole.


college enrollmentFollowing are some of the colleges and universities at which Holton-Arms graduates were recently accepted:

• Amherst College• Bates College• Boston College• Brown University• UC Davis, Irvine, LA, Riverside,

San Diego, Santa Barbara• Carleton College• Carnegie Mellon University• University of Chicago• Colby College• Columbia University• Cornell University• Dartmouth College• Duke University• University of Edinburgh• Emory University• George Washington University• Georgetown University• Hamilton College• Harvard University• Howard University• Johns Hopkins University• London School of Economics• McGill University• University of Michigan• Middlebury College• Mount Holyoke College• New York University• Northeastern University• Northwestern University• University of Notre Dame• Oberlin College• University of Oxford• University of Pennsylvania• Pomona College• Princeton University• Rice University• Swarthmore College• Tufts University• Vanderbilt University• Vassar College• University of Virginia• Wellesley College• Wesleyan University• Williams College• Yale University

Girls at Holton-Arms are supported in their efforts to take intellectual risks—they are encouraged to consider mistakes simply as opportunities for learning. This balance of challenge and support yields a program that values the social, emotional, and aesthetic growth of the whole child.

The Lower School program assists girls in developing the skills, flexibility, and confidence necessary to meet the challenges they face in the near and distance future. Students learn how to learn through a program that employs various learning strategies and a sequentially structured curriculum. Students study subjects such as language arts, math, social studies, science, design technology, world languages, fine arts, music, physical education, health, and library, each of which forms a solid foundation for continued study in the Middle and Upper Schools.

The Upper School is defined by a combination of academic challenge and personal attention, with myriad opportunities to excel outside the classroom. Students receive careful guidance regarding graduation requirements and college, and they have many options for diversifying the program to help them discover their passions. For example, students may choose to pursue designations including Global Scholar and STEM Scholar, which frame coursework for students with interests in global issues and international affairs and STEM topics, respectively. Students with an interest in science may practice genuine science in a professional lab through a formal relationship with the GWU School of Engineering as well as through similar research opportunities at other area universities including Georgetown and the University of Maryland.


In May of her senior year, each girl undertakes a project that allows her to explore a future career, conduct a service activity, or learn about a topic of interest. This Senior Project is a direct reflection of Holton-Arms’ educational philosophy, which encourages intellectual curiosity, tenacity of purpose, and a commitment to others.

Additionally, Holton-Arm’s membership in the Online School for Girls ensures that each student can pursue a class or a topic of interest to her, regardless of whether or not that class is offered at the school. Through this membership, Holton-Arms joins 65 other schools that are committed to creating the best possible learning experience for girls.

tHe middle scHool

Holton-Arms’ Middle School program enrolls students in grades seven and eight and centers upon the process of learning. In this division, girls experiment with different strategies for studying and time management, applying what they learned in Lower School to situations of greater responsibility and challenge. They are guided in all they do by a caring and dedicated faculty, who help them become more aware of the habits of mind that will yield success in the classroom.

The focus of every class—English, world languages, mathematics, science, and social studies—is to provide both challenge and support to students. Through this careful balance, students are able to strengthen their self-esteem and confidence and become well-prepared to tackle the challenges of the Upper School, college, and beyond. Students are assigned to an advisory group, a small group that meets twice per each six-day cycle.

These small groups meet to discuss social and academic challenges and celebrations in Middle School. This carefully carved-out time allows for strong relationships to form between students and adults outside the academic day and keeps adults informed of the struggles and joys of each and every girl.

The Middle School is a unique blend of tradition and innovation, with a suite of academic classes in core subjects as well as “Out-of-the-Box Days,” which draw connections among various subjects and allows students to connect more deeply


with the educational and historic sites and resources of their DC community. Examples of Out-of-the-Box Days include explorations of the Great Age of Islam, the Civil Rights Movement, Mount Vernon, and Community Service Day.

Outside the classroom, students are engaged in their community and active, playful, and passionate. Middle School students are required to participate in physical education and athletics; each season, students gather to choose one activity from a swathe of competitive interscholastic and non-competitive fitness-oriented options. Budding musicians can play in instrumental ensembles such as jazz band and chamber orchestra, and those who are interested in student government can serve as class officers for a year. These opportunities prepare students to forge unique paths in the Upper School, where they can pursue advanced levels of visual and performing arts or play on athletic teams including cross country, field hockey, soccer, tennis, volleyball, basketball, ice hockey, track and field, swimming, lacrosse, and softball.

PHysicAl cAmPus

Holton-Arms’ beautiful 57-acre campus in Bethesda, Maryland features eight Wi-Fi enabled buildings, including two academic buildings and two libraries; a performing arts center with a 400-seat theater and a black box theater; natural-light art and ceramics studios; a state-of-the-art photography lab; four dance studios; and multiple music education spaces. Additionally, the school houses a double gymnasium, an indoor competition-sized pool, seven tennis courts, three athletic fields, a fitness center, and an all-weather track.

BetHesdA, mArylAndHolton-Arms is located in Bethesda, Maryland, an affluent and highly-educated suburb of Washington, DC. The community is beautiful and eminently livable, ranked by Forbes as number two on “America’s Most Livable Cities” in 2009. Several Pulitzer Prize winners, as well as political commentators, call Bethesda their home. Its position on the Washington Metro Transit Authority’s red line provides easy access to Washington, DC, one of the most enviable locations in the country.


Educational opportunities abound in the nation’s capital, from trips to the myriad Smithsonian museums to exploration of the monuments on the National Mall and visits to the White House and U.S. Capitol. Diplomats from around the world flock to Washington, with embassies from 176 nations lying within its borders. In addition to housing many important federal agencies, the city is home to international organizations, trade unions, non-profit organizations, lobbying firms, and other governmental organizations and associations.

Located on the I-95 corridor in the Mid-Atlantic region of the country, Washington features a humid subtropical climate, characterized by warm springs and autumns, hot summers, and mild winters. The city is serviced by three major airports, Amtrak train service, and a comprehensive metrorail system.

Tourism is the second-largest industry in Washington, and landmarks draw visitors annually. Tourists snap photos near the iconic Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial, and the World War II Memorial, among others.

Cultural attractions abound in DC with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts hosting the National Symphony Orchestra, the Washington National Opera, and the Washington Ballet. A strong local theater tradition permeates the city.

Sports enthusiasts cheer on professional teams and athletes in many sports, including baseball, football, ice hockey, soccer, basketball, golf and tennis. No matter what their interests, residents can find the perfect outlet in DC.


oPPortunities And cHAllengesThe new Head of the Middle School at Holton will join a strong and dedicated administrative team that works closely with the Head of School in shaping school policies. Because the team is strong and experienced, the opportunity for the new Head of Middle School to grow and develop her/his skills and experience is outstanding.

The next Head of the Middle School will follow a highly successful division head who has the respect of all constituents in the school. This will require a strong leader to both adopt those practices that are working and serving girls well and to bring innovation to the division. Among the projects that lie ahead are staying focused on high quality and timely communication with parents, strengthening the community service programs, and using the many and diverse resources of the Washington metro area. In addition, the next Head of Middle School must consider how to better manage a very full academic schedule and gain balance in the lives of both students and faculty. The transition between the Lower School and the Upper School will also be an area deserving of attention and thought.

QuAlificAtions And QuAlities of tHe next middle scHool HeAdThe School seeks a leader who:

• Seeks to work in an all-girls school, bringing experience and understanding of how Middle School girls best learn.

• Works collaboratively with fellow administrators, faculty, staff, parents, and students.• Enjoys Middle School girls and can relate to them in an authentic way.• Relates well to parents and welcomes them in the process of their girls’ education.• Understands program and curriculum appropriate to Middle School and strives to bring the best of current

educational thinking to Holton.• Wants to see Holton continue its excellence as a leader among girls’ schools nationally.• Supports girls in their development through counseling and learning services in place in the division.• Is accessible and available to students, faculty, and parents and works in a transparent way.• Leads by example and works successfully with a wide range of constituents.• Has demonstrated skill in hiring well and helping teachers grow and develop.• Has a sense of humor and humility.


to APPlyto APPly for HeAd of tHe middle scHool at Holton-arms scHool, candidates should submit the follow-ing materials electronically to Jake Dresden of Carney, Sandoe & Associates:

• A cover letter explaining the specific reasons for your interest in becoming the next Middle School Head.• A current resume• A personal statement connecting your values to Holton-Arms’ values• The names, e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers of four references. References will not be contacted

until later in the search.

Jake [email protected]

Senior Search ConsultantcArney, sAndoe & AssociAtes

44 Bromfield Street, Boston, MA 02138www.carneysandoe.com

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Holton-Arms School Head of the Middle School

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