Shady Hill is pleased to announce the appointment of Shalini Rao to be our new Lower School Head, starting July 1. Born in India, Shalini moved to the United States with her family when she was eight. She has taught at the Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter School, the Pike School, and The Park School. Most recently, Shalini served as the Director of Teaching and Learning at The Fessenden School, where she supervised all academic department chairs, oversaw curriculum review, and led efforts to align instructional practices and content. She also worked closely with Fessenden’s division heads and coached and mentored teachers. Shalini is married, has two children ages 12 and 15, and lives with her family in Needham. She is excited to join the Shady Hill community, commenting that, “Shady Hill is a magical place—one where childhood is embraced and deep learning is fostered. I am simply delighted to join such a warm community and partner with dedicated colleagues, educators, students, and families in ensuring the best lower-school experience possible.”
As readers may recall, this position became vacant when Serena Wilkie Gifford was appointed head of the Tower School in Marblehead, MA. We thank Cheryl Bruun for her outstanding service as Interim Lower School Head, for the past six months.