Head of School Transition

Dear James River Day School Family and Friends,

 

In an effort to ensure a smooth transition of leadership at James River Day School, a Head of School Transition Committee—comprised of trustees, parents, and staff members—was appointed by the Board of Trustees. The role of this committee has been to assist our new Head of School, Mr. Peter Twadell, and his family with their transition to Lynchburg while also ensuring a thoughtful handover of responsibilities and an appropriate celebration of Mary Riser’s impactful years of service to James River.

 

The Transition Committee began meeting in January and has focused on 

• the school community’s plans and events to surprise and celebrate Mary Riser.
• the coordination of Peter Twadell’s spring visits to Lynchburg and James River Day School.
• supporting the Twadell family as they relocate to and settle in Lynchburg.
• communication regarding the transition to our school community as well as publicity of the change in leadership at James River DaySchool to the greater Lynchburg community.

In addition to his recent visits to conduct school business, house hunt, and attend the Bird Bash, Peter has been in close touch with many of the faculty and staff over the past months. He will return to James River Day School on June 5-6 to participate in the faculty’s end of the year meetings.  Peter will then begin his role as Head of James River Day School on Wednesday, July 5.

 

The Transition Committee and Peter are busy formulating his calendar so that all members of the James River Day School community will have an opportunity to meet him. Please keep an eye on the Head of School Transition page of the James River website, your inbox, and mailbox for announcements of these opportunities. Peter is eager to get to know our students, families, alumni, former families, and school friends in the months to come!

 

Thank you for your support of James River Day School and the Transition Committee’s efforts to make this important moment in the School’s history a success.  We are grateful to all who have participated and are excited to move forward in our work on James River’s behalf.

 

Sincerely,

Candace Caprise
Transition Committee Chair

 

 

 

 

In a few short months it will be my honor to join James River Day School as Head of School. It was just last spring that I learned of JRDS and began to discover how great a school and community it truly is. It was very exciting to find a school that holds at its core the importance of helping children become scholars, leaders, and citizens. Joining a school that cherishes and challenges children is truly a life’s dream for me, and I am humbled to be welcomed into the JRDS community.

I remember walking in to JRDS for the first time last October and experiencing the joy and enthusiasm that the students, faculty, and families all share. The welcome I received and the care, thoughtfulness, and respect that every member of the community showed to me — and each other — is a wonderful testament to the school’s pursuit of its mission. I am incredibly excited to join the school and work side by side with JRDS’s talented, committed teachers to continue to bring to life the school’s special character every day for the students. I am equally excited to become a partner with the families of JRDS and to begin to make long-lasting partnerships with everyone in the community.

Over the next several months my family and I will have a chance to visit the school and Lynchburg, preparing for next year and beyond. I look forward to becoming an integral member of the community and getting to know the school — and each person — more closely. Until we get a chance to meet again in person, I wish you well.

 

 

In pursuit of encouraging our children to imagine themselves as anyone they want to become, we must help them embrace that dreams are achieved through commitment, struggle, and a willingness to persist through their challenges. Thus, great schools must bridge the gap between knowledge acquisition and knowledge application by providing broad opportunities for rich, real experiences. From authentic experiences students will create meaningful context and personal understanding. To achieve these ideals, great educators must be part of something bigger than their own discipline or classroom. Great schools are made up of, and sustained by, cohesive, mutually respected teachers who share and celebrate a common vision of excellence.

 

Associate Head of School
Dean of Faculty
Director of Educational Technology
Head of Upper School (6th-8th Grades)
Assistant Head of Middle School
Fourth Grade Classroom Teacher
Coach (football, basketball, baseball, softball)

Other Leadership Experiences
NAIS Fellowship for Aspiring Heads 2016 - 2017
AISNE Accreditation Visiting Team member, Nantucket New School, 2008
AISNE Accreditation Visiting Team member, The Sage School, 2011
Beginning Administrators Workshop – eduinnovations Independent School Consultants
CTY Fellow, Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth
Board member, Marblehead Youth Football, 2013 - 2014
Commissioner, Marblehead Youth Football, 2013