Reflections on Living Our Mission and an Exciting Announcement

Reflections on Living Our Mission and an Exciting Announcement

Dear Wellington Community,

Over the past several days, I’ve had the opportunity to reflect on how we are living out this year’s themes of curiosity and responsibility. At Wellington, we remain steadfast in our focus on delivering on our school’s mission and core values. Our teachers believe in teaching students how to think, not what to think, and that listening with curiosity and intent to learn is as important as speaking. This is how we help students become lifelong learners.
 

In the lead-up to the national election, we as a school community agreed we could center learning, the steady rhythms of the school day, and the optimism inherent in our mission’s call to prepare students for tomorrow’s world. Over the past two weeks, our collective agreement was both clear and powerful. At last Wednesday’s Morning Meeting, two Upper Schooler leaders of the Debatriot Club—one pleased with the election’s outcomes and one not—addressed their peers, sharing both their perspectives and emphasizing by example the students’ collective agreement to treat one another respectfully and hold space for others in the coming days and always. The two student leaders were clear in their expectation that Wellington’s values remain our guide and standard, and their peers listened and responded in kind.

Hearing their words moved me deeply. You would have been so proud to see them engage in such inclusive and productive ways, embodying the Wellington Way—a model of community we know is not always easy to find. Students are using their voices to advocate for their beliefs and are taking ownership of the community they want to lead and build. Indeed, they are fostering a culture of optimism and excellence, rooted in our core values, which guides our students to think critically, live authentically, and act boldly in service of a better future.
 

An Exciting Academic Leadership Announcement: Shelley Brown Will Add Assistant Head of School for Academics to Her Role

As our mission calls on us to focus on preparing students for tomorrow’s world, my responsibility as Head of School calls on me to focus on shaping Wellington’s future. This fall, I’ve heard from many alumni about the profound impact of their education here. They speak of the strong foundational excellence in core academic areas, paired with opportunities to explore interests and develop critical skills like problem-solving, collaboration, resilience, and self-advocacy.

In line with our goal to advance these foundational and experiential learning opportunities, I’m thrilled to announce an exciting new leadership appointment. Starting July 1, 2025, Shelley Brown will serve as Wellington’s Assistant Head of School for Academics, while continuing her exceptional leadership as Head of Early Childhood and Lower School.
 
 
   

As many of you know, Shelley has led transformative initiatives that reflect Wellington’s 

emphasis on learning through direct experience. Under her guidance, the Lower School 

has introduced the science of reading as a pedagogical approach and adopted a new math 

curriculum, ensuring dedicated, small-group instruction in both areas. The results of this effort 

speak for themselves—this fall’s MAP scores are 25-30 percentile points above the national 

norm and there is palpable joy in our students' learning of these fundamental skills.

Shelley’s thoughtful leadership balances consistency, support, and autonomy for faculty. 

Her commitment to building classroom community and centering student voice ensures 

that our youngest learners are engaged, curious, and confident. This year, she has 

partnered with me in my Head of School goal (see my first letter for my 24-25 annual goals)

to advance academic excellence across all grades, designing an all-school faculty observation

and feedback system and coordinating our academic leadership priorities.

In her expanded role, Shelley will oversee Wellington’s Little Jags-grade 12 academic program, 

lead professional development, measure academic progress and Wellington’s use of the 

Wellington Engagement Index, and coordinate faculty support and evaluation. Her work will ensure 

consistency and alignment across all divisions, strengthening our vision of 

One School across fifteen grades.

To support Shelley’s increased responsibilities, we’ll soon begin a search for a full-time 

Assistant Head of Early Childhood and Lower School to manage the division’s day-to-day 

operations. Additionally, our Middle and Upper School division heads, Louis Frank and Rishi 

Raghunathan, will continue reporting to me, and they will remain responsible for the academic 

programs and oversight within their divisions. Shelley will provide all-school academic support to 

ensure consistency and innovation across the school. I’m excited to partner with Shelley, Louis, 

and Rishi as we build an academic leadership structure that matches our school’s scope 

and ambition.

I am confident that as Assistant Head of School for Academics and Head of Early Childhood and 

Lower School, Shelley will help us achieve our goal of championing academic excellence and 

experiential learning while fostering curiosity, responsibility, empathy, ambition, and authenticity 

at every grade level.

Please join me in congratulating Shelley Brown on this well-deserved appointment!

As always, thank you for all that you do for Wellington, and… Go, Jags!

 

Eliza McLaren
Head of School