Derryfield School

THE DERRYFIELD SCHOOL INSPIRES BRIGHT, MOTIVATED YOUNG PEOPLE TO BE THEIR BEST AND PROVIDES THEM WITH THE SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES NEEDED TO BE VALUED, DYNAMIC, CONFIDENT, AND PURPOSEFUL MEMBERS OF ANY COMMUNITY.

FY 2022 WAS A YEAR OF GROWTH FOR THE DERRYFIELD SCHOOL. IN ADDITION TO SUCCESSFULLY AND SAFELY ORCHESTRATING FULL-TIME, IN-PERSON LEARNING, WE SET ANOTHER RECORD FOR ENROLLMENT, OPENING WITH 415 STUDENTS (IN CONTRAST TO SOME INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS, WHERE ENROLLMENT DECLINED). THE DIVERSITY OF OUR STUDENT BODY HAS EXPANDED AND 24% OF OUR STUDENTS SELF-IDENTIFY AS STUDENTS OF COLOR, AS COMPARED TO 13% IN THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. IN SEPTEMBER, WE ALSO WELCOMED EIGHT STUDENTS TO THE AMOSKEAG SCHOLARS PROGRAM, A BOARD INITIATIVE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE TUITION-FREE ENROLLMENT TO BRIGHT AND HIGHLY MOTIVATED STUDENTS FROM UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS, WITH PARTICULAR FOCUS ON BREAKTHROUGH MANCHESTER STUDENTS. OUR GOAL IS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF AMOSKEAG SCHOLARS TO A TOTAL OF FOURTEEN OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS. THESE STUDENTS WILL JOIN OUR CARLSON SCHOLARS AND MALONE SCHOLARS, WHO ARE FUNDED THROUGH ENDOWED FUNDS.THE YEAR ALSO SAW A MAJOR TRANSITION IN LEADERSHIP, AS DR. MARY HALPIN CARTER, WHO SERVED AS HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR A DECADE, ANNOUNCED SHE WAS LEAVING TO BECOME HEAD AT ST. LUKE'S SCHOOL IN NEW CAANAN, CT. THIS INITIATED A NATION-WIDE SEARCH BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, RESULTING IN OVER 200 APPLICATIONS. THE TEN-PERSON SEARCH COMMITTEE INTERVIEWED EIGHT APPLICANTS, AND INVITED FOUR TO CAMPUS FOR FULL-DAY VISITS. ULTIMATELY, ANDY CHAPPELL, FORMER ASSISTANT HEADMASTER OF THE ESTEEMED ROXBURY LATIN SCHOOL, WAS APPOINTED AS THE NEXT HEAD OF SCHOOL. HIS TERM OF OFFICE COMMENCED ON JULY 1, 2022.THE SCHOOL HAS STAYED TRUE TO ITS MISSION, AND STRIVES TO BE A REGIONAL AND STATE LEADER IN EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION. OUR STRATEGIC PLAN KEEPS US FOCUSED ON BEING THOUGHTFUL LEADERS, KEEPING OUR PEDAGOGY AND FACILITIES CURRENT AND INNOVATIVE, AND STAYING CONNECTED TO THE LOCAL AND GLOBAL COMMUNITY. AS A COLLEGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL, WE EXCEL AT DEVELOPING SKILLS AND LIFELONG HABITS THAT SET OUR ALUMNI UP FOR SUCCESS IN COLLEGE AND BEYOND. FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR ENDING JUNE 2022, 100% OF THE CLASS WAS ADMITTED TO FOUR YEAR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, 91% TO ONE OF THEIR TOP THREE CHOICES. THE CLASS WAS OFFERED OVER $2.9 MILLION PER YEAR IN NON-NEED BASED MERIT AID FROM THESE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. THE DERRYFIELD SCHOOL BEGINS ITS SECOND HALF-CENTURY IN A POSITION OF STRENGTH AND WITH A PROFOUND SENSE OF OPPORTUNITY. WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING FACILITIES THAT MATCH OUR STELLAR ACADEMIC PROGRAM. WORKING TOWARD A MAJOR GOAL OF THE FACILITIES STRATEGIC PLAN, THE SCHOOL HAS RAISED $4 MILLION DOLLARS, 70% OF THE GOAL, TO CONSTRUCT THE COMMONS, A DINING FACILITY IN THE HEART OF CAMPUS. SCHEDULED TO OPEN IN THE WINTER OF 2024, THE COMMONS WILL BE LARGE ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE THE ENTIRE STUDY BODY UNDER ONE ROOF. THE NEW HEAD OF SCHOOL ANDY CHAPPELL NOTED, "ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE CAN DO AS A COMMUNITY IS TO SHARE A MEAL TOGETHER, DURING WHICH WE CAN GATHER TO ENJOY ONE ANOTHER, AND TO LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER BY BUILDING THE COMMONS, WE WILL BRING THIS SENSE OF COMMUNITY TO OUR ENTIRE DERRYFIELD FAMILY. WE WILL ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATE OUR STUDENTS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTH, WELLNESS, DAILY EXERCISE, AND GOOD NUTRITION. WE'RE EXCITED AT LONG LAST TO HAVE A FACILITY AND A PARTNERSHIP WITH A FOOD SERVICE PROVIDER THAT CAN PROVIDE AND TEACH THESE VALUES AND IMPORTANT LIFE SKILLS." ADDRESSING RESIDUAL EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC ON SCHOOL COMMUNITIES, EFFORTS WERE MADE ON SEVERAL FRONTS. THE LEAD (LEADERSHIP, ETHICS & DEVELOPMENT) TEAM COORDINATED A COMMUNITY MEETING ON THE TOPIC OF MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION. A CURRENT STUDENT, SURROUNDED BY SUPPORTIVE ALUMNI, BRAVELY SPOKE ABOUT THE DEATH OF HER BROTHER. THE DERRYFIELD HEALTH AND WELLNESS TEAM SENT A LETTER AHEAD OF TIME, EMPHASIZING, "WE RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF OUR STUDENTS, AND MAKE THIS A PRIORITY AT OUR SCHOOL." A STUDENT LEADER TOOK ON THE TASK OF HELPING TO RE-ENERGIZE STUDENT CLUBS, WHOSE CULTURE HAD BEEN GREATLY DIMINISHED BY PANDEMIC DISRUPTIONS. THE ROLE OF THE CAMPUS ACTIVITY BOARD WAS EXPANDED, WHICH RESULTED IN THE REVITALIZATION OF THE ANNUAL CLUB FAIR, THE CREATION OF NEW CLUBS, AND GREATER PARTICIPATION IN CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS BY THE ENTIRE STUDENT BODY.DERRYFIELD'S AIM TO INSPIRE BRIGHT, MOTIVATED STUDENTS TO BE THEIR BEST AND TO BECOME LEADERS FOR THE COMMON GOOD GIVES PURPOSE TO OUR COLLEAGUES, OUR STUDENTS, OUR FAMILIES, AND ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS.