About Us
Head of School & Leadership
Greetings,
Welcome to Shady Hill. Here, we offer children a fundamentally different way of teaching and learning. While there are innumerable ways that Shady Hill profoundly shapes each student’s experience, five dimensions, in particular, stand out to me:
Welcome to Shady Hill. Here, we offer children a fundamentally different way of teaching and learning. While there are innumerable ways that Shady Hill profoundly shapes each student’s experience, five dimensions, in particular, stand out to me:
- Expert, Caring Faculty—Our outstanding teachers know each of our students as individuals and guide as well as instruct them in discovery and exploration.
- Joyful Learning—Our student-centered approach promotes independent thinking, creativity, and healthy risk-taking while developing an ethical mindset. Older students engage with younger ones, reinforcing their roles as community leaders and contributors.
- Central Subject—In Grades 3–8, students spend the year studying an overarching topic through literature, geography, writing, and history. Before Grade 3, classes pursue a variety of Thematic Studies, each embracing the Central Subject methodology but in shorter, age-appropriate units.
- Campus—Our beautiful campus has a small-village feel. Students use its open spaces, natural areas, and wetlands as extended learning spaces as they observe and explore their world.
- Teacher Training Center—Each year, our renowned program brings 8-10 aspiring teachers to campus. The benefit is two-way. The apprentices train to be progressive educators while our faculty keeps abreast of innovative trends and best practices in education.
For a virtual tour of our program and campus, I invite you to explore a set of interactive pages that showcase Shady Hill. The combination of videos, interviews, and classroom highlights will give you an inside view of what we value and cherish as a school and as a community. To access the tour, click here.
I hope you will be energized by what you read, hear, and see in your exploration of this website and discover what a remarkable learning environment Shady Hill is for children.
Mark J. Stanek
Head of School
List of 2 items.
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+ Mark on the Lighthouse Counsel Podcast
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+ VIEW MARK'S BIO
Mark Stanek became Shady Hill's sixth Head of School on July 1, 2010.
Education- B.A. in Mathematics, Hamilton College
- M.A. in Private School Leadership and Education Administration, Teachers College, Columbia University
- Recipient of the Klingenstein Scholarship & Rose Scholarship
- Head of School at Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York
- Middle School Principal at Milton Academy
- Authored the 2nd edition of The Middle School Handbook for NAIS.
- President of Association of Independent Schools of New England (2018 to 2021)
- CCAE (2018-present)
- Charles River School (2017 to present)
- The Heads Network (2012 to 2020)
- Beacon Academy (2013 to 2016)
