October 9, 2024


Dear Caedmon Community, 


On behalf of the Caedmon Board of Trustees and the Head of School Search Committee, we are thrilled to announce that the Board of Trustees has voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Wendy Falchuk as Caedmon’s next Head of School starting July 1, 2025! 

The Search Committee was impressed by Dr. Falchuk throughout this process. Her professionalism, energy, efficiency and warmth permeate, and her experiences and accolades from colleagues make clear that she has all the qualities to lead The Caedmon School.


We are delighted to welcome Dr. Falchuk from The Kingsley Montessori School in Boston, Massachusetts, where she is currently the Director of Enrollment Management and Community Engagement.

Prior to this position, Dr. Falchuk was the Assistant Head of School at Gann Academy. She has over 20 years of education and administrative school experience. Dr. Falchuk has practiced a passion for Montessori education, beginning in early childhood and continuing through the elementary years. Dr. Falchuk completed her dissertation on “Communication and Collaboration Across Student Support Teams and Montessori Classroom Teachers,” work she later integrated into classrooms at The Kingsley Montessori School. What sets Caedmon apart from other independent schools in NYC is our elementary and Montessori experience. Dr. Falchuk understands the Caedmon advantage! 


Dr. Falchuk brings additional versatile experiences to our community. She was integral to raising the funds to purchase a new building to expand Kingsley’s campus. Dr. Falchuk is well known and respected across independent schools, versed in helping middle school students and their families find the next best fit in ongoing schools. She is an expert in enrollment and retention and her DEIB work has been profound and is mission aligned with Caedmon.


The Board and the Search Committee extend its sincere thanks to everyone in our community who participated in this process, with a special mention to the faculty and administrative staff for their time and energy. We are also tremendously grateful to our fellow trustees, and RG175 for their devotion and commitment. This process also involved thoughtful participation from the parent community, and we have appreciated your patience, support, engagement, and candor throughout this long process.


Finally, we hold a vast amount of gratitude for Matthew Stuart and all he has done for Caedmon for the past 13 years. The majority of the Caedmon Community only knows the school with Mr. Stuart. All who have interacted with him will always remember his greetings from the steps, his thoughtful weekly emails, and all he has done for the Community. His legacy will be a lasting imprint on Caedmon. We look forward to honoring Mr. Stuart in many ways all year. Our respect and praise knows no bounds, especially as Mr. Stuart has thoughtfully allowed time for him to continue to lead this academic year and ensure that we are in the best place for a leadership transition. During this phase, before Dr. Falchuk begins officially on July 1, 2025, we will be working closely with her to ensure a smooth and successful transition. There will be opportunities in the very near term to get to spend more time with Dr. Falchuk.  


Please join us in welcoming Dr. Wendy Falchuk to The Caedmon Community! 


With gratitude,

Michael Gramer (P’ 28, P’ 29) 

Chair, Board of Trustees

Co-Chair, Head of School Search Committee


Katie Taylor (P’22, P’23, P’25)

Trustee

Co-Chair, Head of School Search Committee


*Letter from Wendy below

Dear Caedmon School Community,


I am beyond thrilled and honored to join The Caedmon School as your next Head of School. From the moment I walked through the doors at Caedmon, I was struck by the deep commitment demonstrated each day by the faculty and staff, the strong community created by the parents, and the joyous learning environment that results from this partnership. I look forward to beginning this next chapter in Caedmon’s history, by building on Caedmon’s strong legacy while also looking ahead to the school’s exciting future. The school is more than just a neighborhood school, but rather a thriving community that is committed to each child’s success while valuing diversity, individuality, and the journey of young learners. 


The mission of Caedmon, to honor the individual and foster the natural curiosity of each child, which is the foundation of academic achievement, to nurture empathy in our students to value perspectives other than their own, deeply resonates with my personal and professional guiding principles. I am committed to this mission and the shared values of the Caedmon community that make the school an exceptional environment for students to thrive academically and as individuals. 


I will be visiting Caedmon during this school year. I look forward to getting to know you so I can better understand your hopes and dreams for your children and learn directly from you what makes Caedmon so special. This opportunity to get to know one another will facilitate the beginning of our real work, which will start when I officially join The Caedmon School on July 1, 2025. 


I want to express my deepest gratitude to the Search Committee and Board of Trustees for their commitment to Caedmon’s future and confidence in selecting me to carry forward Caedmon’s legacy. I would also like to thank everyone I have met during the search process, including Head of School Matthew Stuart, the faculty and staff, and the community members involved in the search. 


I am very excited for our shared work together and the future of The Caedmon School. As Dr. Maria Montessori said, “the greatest gift we can give our children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence.” I am so grateful to be joining a school community which imparts to our students Montessori skills grounded in twenty-first century best practices in education. I look forward to seeing you again soon!

 

With gratitude,

Dr. Wendy A. Falchuk