January 2008

Dear Stoneleigh-Burnham School Community,

It is my great honor to announce, on behalf of the Board of Trustees, the unanimous decision to appoint Sally Leach Mixsell '69 as the next Head of Stoneleigh-Burnham School, effective July 1, 2008. Ms. Mixsell brings an intimate knowledge of the Stoneleigh-Burnham community to the position of Head of School. She is an alumna of the first graduating class of the merged Stoneleigh-Burnham School in 1969. She has also served on the School's Board of Trustees from 1987 to 1991 and from 2001 to the present.

Ms. Mixsell holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Comparative French and American Literature from Wells College and a Master's Degree in Education Administration with a focus in private school leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she was also a Klingenstein Fellow. Her academic career has included teaching French, English, ESL and leadership in day and boarding schools in Connecticut and Pennsylvania and working in administration as a grade dean (grade 9), academic dean (grades 7-12) and director of curriculum and instruction (grades Pre-K-12). Ms. Mixsell also served as project director, which included overseeing and instructing in the Leadership Academy master's degree program, at the Klingenstein Center for Independent School Education, Teachers College, Columbia University. Since 2005, she has been an independent school consultant with the firm eduINNOVATIONS, of which she was a founding partner.

Ms. Mixsell will succeed Dr. Paul Bassett, who is retiring at the close of his two-year term as Head of School, on June 30, 2008. We have been fortunate to have Dr. Bassett engaged in our community as a parent, teacher, coach, and school leader for the past 27 years. His dedication to Stoneleigh-Burnham and his commitment to the mission of the School will be remembered always.

During Dr. Bassett's term as Head of Stoneleigh-Burnham School, he formed The Head's Advisory Board, a committee of faculty, staff, and administrators who serve as an advisory group for the Head of School, he led the School in strategic planning sessions to form a five-year plan with a new mission statement, and he guided the School in its self-study in preparation for reaccreditation with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Dr. Bassett will continue on as faculty advisor for the Debate & Public Speaking Society, which he introduced to Stoneleigh-Burnham over 20 years ago and which has gone on to garner international acclaim. He will also continue to lead two of the School's summer programs, as well as continue to participate in special events and travel to meet with alumnae and friends of the School.

The announcement of Ms. Mixsell's appointment and of Dr. Bassett's retirement will be made to the student body at Housemeeting on Thursday, January 24, 2008. We look forward to sharing this exciting news with the current students of Stoneleigh-Burnham School.

In the coming months, you will receive an invitation to the formal installation of our next Head of School and to a series of receptions around the country during the next school year. We hope you will join us at these events. We are all looking forward to working with Ms. Mixsell to advance the mission of, in the words of Paul Bassett,  "this special place."

Sincerely,

Laura B. Richards '60
Chair of the Board of Trustees