Press Releases |
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The Board of Trustees of The Good Hope School announced May 10th that Michael E. Mongeau has accepted the position as Head of School. He succeeds Carole Everett, who stated her intention to return to her home in New York City this past January. Michael, who will be joined by his wife Maggie and two middle-school children, will begin his duties in early June, 2005. Mr. Mongeau, a native of Philadelphia, PA, received his BA in the Great Books Program at St. John's College in Santa Fe, NM. He then pursued post-graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, earning his MA in Educational Administration at Teacher's College of Columbia University. In 1997 he continued his studies at The Principals' Center of Harvard University. Mr. Mongeau, long influenced by the Society of Friends ( the Quakers), began his 30-year career in education at the Wilmington Friends School in Delaware as a teacher of mathematics. He later joined the Friends Select School faculty in Philadelphia before moving to the Moorestown Friends School in New Jersey where he also served as Middle School Principal and Dean of Faculty. As an outgrowth of this success, St. Paul Academy in Minnesota then called him to begin and build their Middle School program as Principal where he served for seven years before accepting the position of Head of School at Groves Academy in St. Louis Park, Minnesota where he was instrumental in completing their strategic plan, a 5.8 million dollar capital campaign, as well as the writing of the school's academic scope and sequence, and mapping of the school's curriculum. In writing about his philosophy of education, Mr. Mongeau states, "Now, I see more clearly that information is most helpful when it is clear, precise, and accurate; however, precious few issues are simple and unambiguous, and even then information alone is not necessarily knowledge. With each passing year I am more convinced that a primary goal of education should be to endow students with a hunger for, humility of, and access to those experiences which can transform information, events, and understanding into knowledge.. The fundamental task of schools is to enable the growth of self-aware individuals, to provide information and experiences which is mission appropriate, and to create a culture that insists on the understanding of others. When these three elements are brought together with purpose and care, consistently over a period of time, we have great schools and good education." When told that he had been selected to be the new Head of School, Mr. Mongeau said, "I am both honored and awed to be your choice to lead this extraordinary school whose mission statement so clearly speaks to me. As your next Head of School, I feel fortunate indeed to find The Good Hope School well served by a strong faculty and staff, governed by a dedicated Board, and energized by its amazing students and parents. My family and I are thrilled to be joining this wonderful community." The Mongeau's are very family oriented; they are all learning Spanish together as this year's family project, and Maggie and their daughter, Eliza, are learning to play the violin. Mrs. Mongeau is a nurse practitioner, and their two children, Eliza who will be entering 6th grade and Theo who will be entering 8th grade, will be bringing along their family cat and dog, Jujubee and Tenzing. |
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