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Tuesday, October 6, 2015


Dear Friends:It is with mixed emotions that I announce that Assistant Head of School and Middle School Principal Sally Selby has informed me that she will retire at the end of the 2015/16 school year. While I am pleased that Sally will have the opportunity to pursue other interests, I am saddened by the departure of a friend and mentor that I hold in the highest regard.I can think of no other member of the faculty, staff, or administration as dedicated, beloved, and trusted as Sally. She is a superb educator who has brought wisdom, expertise, and compassion to her work. But Sally’s plans to spend more time with her husband, Dave, who retired several years ago, and her two children, Kate and John, are certainly understandable.Sally Selby started her Sidwell Friends career in the fall of 1982 as a teacher of 7/8 English. She was appointed Middle School curriculum coordinator in 1990 and assumed the role of Middle School assistant principal five years later. In 1996, she became the whole school curriculum coordinator and, in 2001, served as interim Lower School principal during Rich Lodish’s sabbatical. Sally left SFS for the Barrie School in Silver Spring the following year, but returned to us as Middle School principal in fall 2004, becoming the first woman to hold that position. Indeed, she has served with honor and distinction and has been a wonderful leader and teacher for students, parents, and colleagues alike.It will be extraordinarily difficult, if not impossible, to replace Sally Selby. Nevertheless, we will begin an international search for her successor and will appoint a faculty/staff committee to review resumes and select a group of semifinalists for initial interviews. In the end, the committee will invite between two to four finalists to campus for day-long visits. During these visits, the Middle School faculty and staff will meet, interview, and evaluate each candidate. In addition, we will provide opportunities for Administrative Council members, as well as representatives from the student body, Parents Association, Alumni Association, and Board of Trustees to provide feedback on the finalists. I will weigh the evaluations carefully and, in accordance with the School’s by-laws, confer with the Board before appointing the next principal.In the meantime, please join me in thanking Sally for her extraordinary work over the past 32 years. We wish her well as she embarks upon her next journey. And I thank her for her friendship and mentorship over these many years. It has been invaluable.In friendship and with deep appreciation,Bryan GarmanHead of School


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