We are happy to share that Dr. Dina Eletreby has been awarded a Klingenstein Fellowship to attend the 2017 Heads of Schools Program at Teachers College, Columbia University.  As one of only 20 Heads of School selected in the world, Dr. Eletreby now joins a distinguished group of School Heads as a Klingenstein Fellow selected from a highly competitive pool of national and international applicants.  The Klingenstein Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College develops and strengthens leadership among administrators in independent and international schools. The program cultivates administrators’ ambitions to make enduring differences in a rapidly-changing environment. The intensive program is a two-week, fully funded fellowship for heads of independent and international schools and offers a unique opportunity to renew vision, passion and energy for school leadership. Dr. Eletreby, when asked to submit a research focus on an educational issue of importance to New Horizon, submitted the following:

“As part of the Strategic Vision developed in 2011, New Horizon School, Irvine set an expansion goal that included purchase of an additional site to extend the school’s capacity and reach by accommodating students through 8th grade using a 2-campus model.  The current campus will transform into a Lower School Campus, serving grades Preschool through Third, and an Upper School Campus at the new site, serving grades Fourth through Eighth.  The Upper School Campus is set to open in Fall 2018 and will require careful consideration as New Horizon enters this crucial phase in its development.  Multiple research questions come to mind, including:  What other schools have a successful 2-campus model – split in this way or a similar way? What are the benefits and pitfalls of such a model?  What happens to school communities as a school grows? What should we be looking for in terms of resources and resource division between campuses with regards to operational realities? How will a change in campus location impact students with regards to performance and performance expectations – and similarly, how does a 2-campus model effect faculty satisfaction, performance, and retention?”

When asked what this means to her, Dr. Eletreby said, “I see this as another affirmation of New Horizon’s excellence, as an opportunity to bring the best educational and administrative practices back to our community, and as a chance to inform a national and international audience of educators about our incredible school.”