Dear Friends,

On behalf of the Board of Trustees of State College Friends School, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Jody Althouse as our next Head of School, effective July 1, 2007. Trustees are excited about the experience, skills, energy, creativity and commitment that Jody will bring to her new position.

Jody is currently a faculty member in the College of Education at Barry University in Miami, Florida; she holds a B.S. and an M.S. in education from Barry and has worked there for the past 15 years. Jody’s main faculty responsibilities are teaching educational methods courses and supervising student teachers. She also serves as an assistant to the Dean of the College of Education, planning and presenting workshops, working on design of facilities and curricula, and writing grants. Before her employment at Barry, Jody worked for 12 years as an elementary school teacher at several independent schools in the Miami area, teaching science and designing/building an exciting, experiential science center that features hands-on opportunities for children to get to know animals. She also has experience in independent school governance, having served on the boards of several schools, and she helped establish a charter school in Miami. Jody has traveled extensively and has taken several student groups on study tours to the Galapagos Islands.

Jody, her husband Steve (Professor of Photography and Chair of the Department of Fine Arts at Barry), and their daughters Maya (age 15) and Raven (age 9) are excited about their move to our area. For Jody and Steve, this will be a return to their roots in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, respectively.

The Board of Trustees appoints Jody Althouse with confidence, enthusiasm and hope for the future. As we embark on the next chapter in the life of State College Friends School, we anticipate some new beginnings and exciting growth. We also know that the deepest and most important hallmarks of our school will go with us into the future. Please join us in welcoming Jody Althouse and her family into our community!

Sincerely,
Joanne Green
Co-clerk, Board of Trustees
Clerk, Head Search Committee