Letter from Scott D. Fech, Ph. D.

February 13, 2018

Dear WT Parents,

I could not be more excited to be joining Winchester Thurston School next year. I am deeply grateful to the WT Board for entrusting me to be the next Head of School and to build upon the great foundation that Gary Niels has provided during his long tenure. Since my appointment in early December, I have been in regular communication with Gary and with Board President Jennifer McComb; through almost daily email communication and weekly phone calls, we are working closely together to ensure a smooth transition for the WT community.

Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to spend a few days at WT to take my first steps in getting to know the school community. It was wonderful to reconnect with Trustees, administrators, faculty, staff, and students as they shared their hopes for the future and gave me a fuller understanding of where WT is today. "Think also…" was evident in the warm welcome I experienced in every interaction.

While there were many wonderful moments during my last visit, I especially enjoyed my time with students. Their energy, passion, and curiosity were evident and capture the essence of WT perfectly. Of course, there was also much laughter as we shared stories back and forth. I really look forward to embedding myself in the daily life of the school and working with my colleagues to continue to actively engage students in all that makes WT such a unique learning environment – from student-centered and community-based learning, to fostering caring young people.

My next visit to WT is scheduled for mid-March. We will have the first of many opportunities to meet then. Because the home-school partnership is critical to student success and well-being, I am eager to get to know WT families, and to engage in this partnership. Not only will that benefit your children, but as I have much to learn in the months to come, it will enhance my transition to this leadership role.

In the meantime, Gary and I are working closely together to round out the strong administrative team that is in place for the 2018-2019 school year, and we look forward to sharing our progress with you over the coming weeks. While there are several transitions happening at WT, one thing remains constant: Everyone has a passionate commitment to WT and the Mission, and the culture of WT remains strong and vital.

We are in the process of finalizing my March visit and will contact you with dates and times when I will be meeting with parents at both campuses. Until then, I wish you all the best in these winter days. May there be sunshine and warmth in the not-so-distant future! See you very soon.

Sincerely,

Scott D. Fech, Ph.D.