Head of Primary School

Coeducational Day School in Houston, Texas Founded in 1960470 Students in Preschool 2s through 8th Grade

our storySt. Mark’s Episcopal School in Houston, Texas is seeking a creative, energetic, and organized, team player to serve as the Head of Primary School.

The Head of Primary School is a crucial position on this community’s leadership team, working directly with the Headmaster. With a new Strategic Plan recently adopted, this opportunity becomes available at an exciting time in the life of St. Mark’s Episcopal School, calling for a principled leader who understands and embraces servant leadership. This leader models the organization’s mission and shapes mission-centered culture for our students, families, and faculty. The Head of Primary School is a thoughtful leader who advances a collaborative atmosphere among faculty in support of student-centered learning, celebrates the uniqueness of each child, and leads the Primary School team in proactive parent partnerships, all in support of our students’ growing independence.

We are seeking a curious learner who appreciates that understanding comes from listening. Acting with humility, this leader understands that leaders are teachers and that practicing discipline must begin with self. He or she will treat everyone with respect and dignity at all times, while employing diplomacy in all interactions, adapting accordingly and professionally to circumstances that arise. Finally, he or she will be visible, approachable, and accessible throughout the school day.

July 1, 2020

our neighborhood St. Mark’s Episcopal School is located in the West University area of Houston, Texas, four miles from the Texas Medical Center, and just minutes south of the Galleria. It is easily accessible, serving many families who work in the hospitals and offices of the Med Center as well as those who work at local universities and downtown.

our history St. Mark’s Episcopal School was founded as a ministry of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in 1960 with a dozen children in Kindergarten, slowly adding on grade levels to eventually graduate our first 8th grade class in the spring of 1988. In 1990, St. Mark’s acquired its first accreditation from the Southwest Association of Episcopal Schools.

Today, St. Mark’s serves 470 students from two-year-olds through 8th grade. St. Mark’s is an engaging community of learners where the school partners with its families in preparing each student for the path that lies ahead through a stimulating, whole-child school experience. Through offerings in athletics, performing and visual arts, technology, Spanish, and a robust curriculum, St. Mark’s prepares its graduates for the many high school options

Houston offers, and successfully places its students in high schools that best fit each.

St. Mark’s is an Episcopal school, and as part of the St. Mark’s Episcopal Church parish, is known as a community environment and second home to over 350 families. The school is committed to its positive relationship with families, believing strongly in the power of a fully engaged dynamic between school and home. As a place where children are known, teachers understand what it means to meet children where they are, which plays a crucial role in fostering each child’s spirit.

During the 2019-2020 school year, the school is undertaking a collaborative design process to reconfigure the division of the school. We are shifting from a two division school to a three division school, beginning in the fall of 2020. It is an exciting time in the school’s history.

our mission The community of St. Mark’s Episcopal School celebrates the uniqueness of each child. We are stewards of our students’ intellectual curiosity, faith, and passion for discovery. We cultivate joy, playfulness, and growth in a child-centered environment.

our programIn the spirit of an Episcopal school, the primary school program at St. Mark’s Episcopal School offers “a lively center for sound learning, new discovery and the pursuit of wisdom.” Classroom environments are arranged in learning centers filled with hands-on materials and teacher

directed activities that foster growth in social, emotional, cognitive, fine and gross motor, and creative skill development.

Each innovative classroom is staffed with a lead teacher and an assistant setting the stage for small and large group learning experiences and the opportunity for individualized guidance throughout the school day. Outdoor environments are well-designed play spaces that enhance collaborative play and gross motor skill acquisition.

Our youngest students spend their mornings in a classroom designed for open-ended learning activities guided by nurturing, experienced teachers of young children. Primary school students are active learners who are highly engaged in the study of the world around them. As they move away from open-ended centers play to activities with an introduced purpose, they acquire academic skills, and emergent reading and math benchmarks.

The transition from the centers-based, hands-on learning environment of the primary school years to the skill-based learning of the elementary grades is an important moment in each student’s educational journey. Self-contained classrooms incorporate table or desk work, with room for games, projects, and group experiences in open-floor areas. The students actively participate in whole group learning sessions, small group guided instruction, and independent assignments. Interdisciplinary studies bring both social studies and science themes into their work. Reading, writing, researching, questioning and problem-solving lead our students into the elementary years at St. Mark’s Episcopal School. As their learning becomes more sequential and structured, consistency in expectations for focused learning behavior, class work completion, and active participation in discussions and projects guides the work in our classrooms.

our ideal candidateOur ideal candidate for the Head of Primary School will seek to excel at the following essential duties regarding students, faculty, parents, and professionalism.

students:• Serve as the model for curiosity, demonstrating a practice of lifelong learning • Guide the behavior choices and social/emotional needs of primary aged students with

age appropriate expectations• Establish and support mission-aligned, student management and accountability policies

and procedures for the Primary School in partnership with other school leaders• Further cultivate agency among grade-level teams and specialists that supports the

academic and personal growth of student competencies and skills • Maintain current and accurate student files

faculty:• Participate as a vibrant part of the Curriculum and

Instruction Team• Partner with faculty to ensure essential resources

that support teaching and learning• Oversee and support the work of teachers including:

• Frequent and ongoing review of the St. Mark’s Portal, ensuring it serves as a vital communication and partnership tool with parents

• Formal and informal observation for teaching and student guidance

• Read student reports to best coach and support high fidelity narrative report writing that reflects a deep understanding of each student’s growth as a learner and a person

• Evaluate and provide growth-oriented feedback to teachers through goal setting, classroom observation, and presence in the school community to ensure mission-driven, student-centered instruction

• Partner with teachers regarding student referrals for social, emotional, academic, or developmental concerns

• Develop Primary School class lists for upcoming year with grade level teams

• In partnership with Middle and Lower School Heads, develop schedules for:• Student and teacher class rotations• Supervision of lunch/recess, drop off, dismissal, etc.• Student reporting• Meetings

• Facilitate emergency substitute coverage for faculty and staff

parents:• Build and maintain consistent and diplomatic relationships with parents• Attend teacher-led parent conferences throughout the school year as needed• Serve as lead communicator to and partner with parents when making referrals for social,

emotional, academic, or developmental concerns

professionalism:• Model an inclusive, accepting, high-trust culture for St.

Mark’s• Plan and lead Primary School gatherings, meetings,

special events, and ceremonies, providing a public leadership presence

• Model and promote thoughtful, proactive communication among employees

• Model a practice of lifelong learning through active participation in professional growth activities

• Maintain a current understanding of resources and pedagogies that promote student learning

• Collaborate with the Director of Admission regarding Primary enrollment decisions• Responsibly develop and manage the Primary School budget• Serve as a collaborative member of the Leadership Team• Assume other responsibilities as assigned by the Headmaster

physical requirements and work environment:• Work in a sometimes highly stressful environment dealing with a wide variety of challenges• Ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time• Physical agility to lift up to 25 pounds; to bend, stoop, and reach overhead• Work primarily in a traditional climate controlled classroom environment• Work intermittently in outside weather conditions, including extreme heat and cold

our team The Head of Primary School will join a highly collaborative Leadership Team, who is comitted to serving the community of St. Mark’s Episcopal School with selflessness and a high level of trust. In addition, the Head of Primary School will be a member of the Curriculum and Instruction Team and the Faculty and Student Services Team.

join us! Interested candidates should email their résumé, educational philosophy, cover letter, and list

of references as separate PDFs to:Beth McArdle | Courtney Bardo

Managing Associate | Placement Associatebeth.mcardle@carneysandoe.com | courtney.bardo@carneysandoe.com

617-542-0260

Please do not contact the school directly. To learn more about St. Mark’s, visit www.stmes.org.