The world of education can be a little surreal as appointments are made for headships several months ahead of time. Nevertheless, this time lapse has allowed for valuable learning experiences through ever-increasing exposure to USM - while participating in everything from strategic planning to more informal conversation with administrators, Board members and a welcoming Transition Committee.
So now we stand on the cusp of a new school year. One of the most exciting aspects of education for me has always been the ability to set goals for our students, faculty, and school; to work as a team toward achieving these goals; and then celebrate the successes at year end. It represents a wonderful journey of planning, learning, measuring, completion, and reflection. Along the way, we as educators are offered the distinct joy of living and working with your most prized possessions: your children. I have always reveled in the beginnings and the thrill of the back-to-school buzz. There is nothing more gratifying than observing the looks of excited anticipation on the faces of our youngest students and the equally eager, yet more veiled, enthusiasm of our older students.
At USM, I already sense a feeling of closeness, of community connectedness. The faculty, staff, and Administration truly care about each other and are overwhelmingly committed to their students. They are proud of the excellence that is USM, as well they should be. It is quantifiable. On every tangible standardized measurement, your children score within the very highest percentiles in the country. This academic excellence is unquestionable and at the very core of what we do.
This summer has also provided me the opportunity to spend countless hours meeting with a wide continuum of our constituents: parents, trustees, alums, faculty, and administrators. Through these conversations, I have begun to compile the more nuanced pieces of the puzzle that make up USM. What I have learned is that this School is a multifaceted, multileveled community with many intangible, but no less valuable, resounding lessons for your children. For example, they are surrounded each day by adults who teach and insist upon a dignified environment, one where students and faculty treat each other with respect, honesty, fairness and kindness; lessons embedded in the Common Trust and now woven into the very fabric of the community. What I have learned is that at University School young people are held accountable: academically, physically, artistically and, perhaps most importantly, ethically. Students at USM are encouraged to be leaders and to work in teams; they are inspired to develop moral and ethical decision-making skills; and they are provided the opportunities to learn about, accept and embrace cultures on a global level. We encourage students to take academic risks while providing a safe place to do so; we teach them to be adaptable and take initiative for their own learning. In summary, your children are exposed to the very best academic experiences possible while being taught, nurtured, and challenged to develop 21st-century skills that will carry them through their professional and personal futures.
On a personal note, my family and I have been wholeheartedly welcomed at USM. We are truly home in every sense of the word. Finally, my husband, Tom, and I are together in our home state where we are able to provide a base for our six children. What family could ask for more? That said, the circuitous route I took to come home, upon reflection, has provided the basis for what now will undoubtedly be the most exciting and challenging time in my professional career. From my days at Taft, a quintessential New England boarding school, to leading the upper school at Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa and, most recently, at the helm of St. Catherine’s School, a PK-12, girls’ school in Richmond, Va., the lessons learned, experiences gained, the people with whom I have worked and lived amongst, have all contributed to my belief that the upcoming chapter at USM will be the best yet.
I would like to thank everyone who has thus far reached out to me and my family and steadfastly offered sustained commitment to my appointment as Head of USM. Their encouragement reinforces my initial belief that this is truly a unique educational institution, one very worthy of the national reputation it enjoys within the independent and collegiate school worlds.
I am deeply impressed by this accomplished School and honored to take over as Head. My personal commitment to you is to continue to build steadily on the excellence of USM as we provide the most forward-looking education for your children available, not only in the Milwaukee area, but across the nation. Together, we will partner in our quest to ensure all students are challenged and encouraged to reach their fullest potential and be joyous lifelong learners.
Respectfully,
Laura J. Fuller
Head of School
