May 8, 2009
Dear Valley School Families and Friends,
Barry Wright has just announced that he will step down as director after the 2009–2010 school year. Barry has been with The Valley School for 16 years and head of the school for the last 5 years. His leadership will be missed. We are very pleased with Barry’s many contributions and accomplishments during his time as our director and as a fifth grade teacher. We hope you will join us in wishing him all the best for this upcoming transition year and for his future.
In response to Barry’s decision, the Board of Trustees has been meeting to plan for the transition and has begun the search for a new head of school. There are many special values that The Valley School is built upon and are important to maintain. Most of the board members are parents of alumni and we are deeply aware of the uniqueness this school holds in our community. We are dedicated to preserving the school’s purpose and we are committed to finding the right person to replace Barry.
With that in mind, we are grateful that Barry has given us ample time to find the right person to lead our school. The board is beginning to search for someone who is a great fit for the position and for the school. During the next year David Douglas, a board member and a former head himself, will provide extra support for the school’s academic program.
We look forward to updating The Valley School parents on the search process and any pertinent developments as we move forward.
In closing, the board received wonderful news that each Valley fifth grade student was admitted to his or her top choice for middle school. While that is not surprising to us, our congratulation goes out to all the involved students, parents, teachers and administrators!
Sincerely,
The Valley School Board of Trustees
