Dear Wellington Community,
It was wonderful seeing many of you on Wednesday for our December Coffee, where I was excited to walk through the progress we’ve made implementing our strategic plan,
A Bold Leap: 2032. While great work is already underway, I invite you to learn more by attending the State of the School on Thursday, February 19 (details forthcoming).
Our progress thus far has been guided by a clear vision for where we are headed as a school. A Bold Leap: 2032 envisions Wellington as the best place to teach and learn for those seeking a deeply connected, forward-looking educational community.
Great Teachers Build Great Schools
At the heart of our vision are the people who bring it to life each day—because great schools are built by great teachers. During the past school year, we prioritized teacher compensation and professional development to hire, support, and retain the most talented educators. As we look toward the future, our commitment to Wellington educators remains steadfast:
- We strive to empower teachers with meaningful instructional autonomy, aligning with feedback, data, and support.
- We believe excellent teaching thrives in environments built on respect and professionalism, and I am grateful to our Board of Trustees for their continued support of our faculty and staff.
- We ensure teacher satisfaction through engaging professional and growth-oriented experiences. I am thrilled that we have a cohort of teachers in a comprehensive Science of Reading professional training and a Community Engagement Grant that helps teachers obtain ProTIP certification, enabling them to deepen their practice though curiosity, reflection, and innovation.
Spaces that Elevate Learning
Alongside our investment in people, we are also investing in the places where learning happens. The Fishinger Road renovation will create state-of-the-art Upper School and creative arts spaces, allowing us to preserve small class sizes through Middle and Upper School.
With the Wellington community’s generous support and feedback, we hope to begin construction this summer. We look forward to engaging in continued planning conversations, as this space is intended to reflect the vibrancy of our diverse community. In the meantime, I am delighted to share an architectural rendering developed by Moody Nolan for the new Fishinger Road entrance.
Rooted in Tradition, Future-Inspired
Delivering on our vision also requires sustained focus on academic excellence and student engagement. We continue to refine our curriculum with care and intention guided by research and ongoing review. As our program evolves, we strengthen what works, address areas for growth, and introduce coursework where needed to ensure students are challenged, engaged, and well prepared for college and beyond.
We strive to help students build transcripts that tell a compelling and authentic story—one that thoughtfully reflects intellectual curiosity, academic rigor, and depth of engagement. We see the tension between tradition and innovation as productive; its synthesis grounds us in time-tested approaches and welcomes course offerings that excite, inspire, and stretch our learners.
Ultimately, the strength of our academic program lies in its deliberate design and review across grades, disciplines, and developmental stages. A cohesive Little Jags-grade 12 curriculum allows us to build knowledge and skills with intention, rather than in isolation, ensuring that students are both challenged and supported at every step. I am deeply grateful to our academic team, led by Assistant Head of School for Academics Shelley Brown, for their careful stewardship of this work and their ongoing commitment to academic excellence. We look forward to sharing updates to the 2026–27 course catalogs early in the new year.
A Strong Foundation Powers Our Future
Sustaining this level of academic excellence requires a financial foundation that is both strong and forward-looking. Wellington’s financial strength enables us to advance our strategic priorities and secure our role as a national leader in independent school education. At the start of the year, I announced a $5 million endowment gift dedicated to strengthening teacher compensation. I am proud to share our community’s continued support:
- We have raised nearly $4 million toward our capital construction project, marking significant momentum toward the Upper School of the Future.
- One hundred percent of faculty and more than 60 percent of families have already made their annual gift, surpassing last year’s total participation.
- To date, we have raised nearly $600,000 for the Wellington Fund and celebrated a record-setting Day of Giving.
These commitments represent more than numbers—they reflect a powerful vote of confidence in Wellington’s people, programs, and direction. A strong financial foundation allows us to make bold, necessary choices, and I am deeply grateful to all who help make this work possible.
Every Jaguar Matters
As I reflect on the past few months, it has often felt as though disturbing news has touched our world with relentless frequency. I want to reassure you that the safety of our students, faculty, and staff remains our highest priority at Wellington.
We have recently completed additional and significant security infrastructure and technology upgrades, including impact-resistant film on all first-floor windows and improvements to our security camera and emergency communication systems. Every year, we engage in a comprehensive security audit to adjust our practices as needed, and I am deeply grateful to Lindsey Smith, our Chief Operating Officer, and her team for their leadership and dedication to this work.
On a more personal note, I understand it can feel difficult—perhaps even dissonant—to enter a season of celebration amid so much pain in the world and after experiencing profound loss within our own community.
Over recent weeks, I have been deeply moved by the compassion and care I have witnessed at Wellington. When asked what I am most proud of at Wellington, my answer is simple: The Wellington Way—how we show up for one another and strive not only to be better ourselves, but to help those around us be better, too.
We are a community of courage—one where it is safe to speak up, to engage thoughtfully across differences, and to lead with empathy and respect. Curiosity is nurtured here. Each person matters here and, even where we differ most, we fight for each Jag’s right to belong at Wellington.
And for the data-minded among us, here is a bright spot worth celebrating: new research from the Wellington Initiative’s Mattering Index shows that the vast majority of our students report a strong sense of both contribution and connection—two essential foundations for deep learning and long-term well-being. At Wellington, we are doing right by our students, and they by their school.
Thank you for the care, intention, and passion you bring to our community each day. I wish you a wonderful and safe winter break filled with rest, joy, and time with those you love.
Happy Holidays, thank you for all you do for Wellington, and … Go, Jags!
Eliza McLaren, Head of School