Introducing Detra Watson, Incoming Lower School Division Head

At 3,500 strong and growing each year, our alumni family is a prestigious group whose post-Carroll journeys have taken diverse paths. Lucky for Carroll, they are eager to give back by sharing their experiences. This year, we hosted twelve alums on Alumni Panels following Parent Visiting Days. Read more about their experiences, perspectives, and insights.

Three campuses, one school. We rally around this mantra in our work to build all-school belonging. Naturally, there are inherent challenges to ensuring that our students feel connected to each other when geographically dispersed. It’s the intentional planning of school leaders and dedicated educators that allows Carroll to connect the dots on the map. A recent examples of this was Ruby Bridges Day.

Thanks to the generosity of Stewart Myers and the Maureen McGuire Myers Endowment Fund for Faculty Professional Development, three Carroll educators recently returned to “school” to sharpen and broaden their skills. From a classroom setting to the great outdoors to a yoga studio, their on-the-ground training varied widely. Even more noteworthy is the impact of their experiences on Carroll students. Take a peek at how the 2022 Myers Fellows are applying the lessons they learned in and beyond Carroll classrooms.

Carroll is thrilled to announce the appointment of Ms. Detra Watson as Carroll School’s next Lower School Division Head. She will succeed Sue Kingman and her 22 years of leadership in July 2023.

This school year, eight Grade 4 students are piloting the use of a large-scale building kit known as Rigamajig, originally developed for New York City’s High Line Park by toy designer Cas Holman. The kit—filled with every imaginable type of building material—is designed to encourage collaborative, hands-on, open-ended play. But when Head of School Renée Greenfield first ran the idea by Carroll teachers last summer, Lower School science teacher Kelly Sampar and Lower School speech language pathologist Jen Amos immediately honed in on a secondary benefit: building communication skills.

On November 23, Carroll was abuzz as alumni descended upon the Lincoln campus for the 2022 Homecoming celebration. There was a palpable sense of excitement as classmates reunited with each other. Though the festivities are held in the gym, alums enjoy time strolling around campus, soaking in the memories, fitting in some gaga action, and most importantly, visiting teachers.

To fully create a culture of kindness and empathy at Carroll, we embolden our students to volunteer and give back to the community inside and outside of our campus walls. By providing opportunities for charitable giving—be it their time, advocacy, or donations—our hope is that students will be motivated to continue this important work throughout their lifetime. Here’s what that looks like across our campuses this year.

Carroll School has long been a leader in teacher training, and in providing intensive professional development focused on meeting the needs of students with learning differences. Carroll’s mission to equip and support educators doesn’t end there, however. We want to make these opportunities not just available, but more inclusive to educators from every race, culture, and background.