It is with great excitement that we announce that Debbie Senoff-Langford will be Jarrow’s next Head of School beginning in the 2018-19 School Year! Debbie joins us from Rodgers Park Montessori School in Chicago where she currently serves as its head, a position she has held since 1997. Below you will find a welcome letter from Debbie to you. We, the Board of Trustees and Search Committee, could not be more thrilled that Debbie is joining us. Debbie’s ability to connect with and guide students, teachers, board members and families on their Montessori journey was just one of the many qualities that has made Debbie such an incredible Montessori leader. Throughout her career, Debbie has not been complacent with the status quo, but rather has pushed herself to bring out the best in her community for the benefit of her students. As a Board we are constantly searching for ways to connect with, engage and improve our Community, and Debbie’s values and experiences are a perfect match for Jarrow. What was equally impressive to the Search Committee and Board was Debbie’s strong belief that Montessori values are more important today than ever in preparing our students for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Please join us in welcoming Debbie as we begin the next chapter in Jarrow’s unfolding story. -From Jarrow’s Head of School Search Committee
A Message from Debbie Senoff-Langford
Dear Members of the Jarrow Community,
I would like to thank the Jarrow Board, Mary and Mercedes for the welcoming introduction sent to you a few weeks ago. I am grateful to them for honoring my need for confidentiality until I shared the news of my impending departure with my current school community. I have come to learn a great deal about Jarrow over the last several months and am thrilled to be joining a school with a long-standing tradition and dedication to Montessori principles.
My name is Debbie Senoff Langford and I am the current principal of Rogers Park Montessori in Chicago. I have been involved with the Montessori community for many years as a parent, teacher, Head of School, consultant, board member, and Montessori advocate. I have been at RPMS for the last 21 years and prior to that was the principal at Wa Ora Montessori, in Wellington, New Zealand. My experience as a Montessori teacher and as a principal (as I am currently referred to) has enabled me to work with many parent- governed boards and teachers over the years. This dedication to Montessori education and the children we serve has been a very humbling experience, and I look forward to the collaboration with the Jarrow community in helping to shape the future of the school.
I know that over time you will learn more about me, but briefly I have had the honor of working for two very distinctly different Montessori schools, one I helped to establish in New Zealand, which now has a thriving middle and high school and the second an urban school which was initially located in two old churches. I, along with the community, built a new campus, which can be viewed at (www.rpmschool.org) along with an adolescent program. I have served on several boards, but most notably on the establishment board of Beacon Academy (the first Montessori high school in Chicago). I represent the state of Illinois in non-public education in Washington D.C., and over the years have mentored many teachers and administrators. I hold a Bachelor of Science, History, Masters of Education, with a minor in special education, along with many other certifications including Montessori certification in both early childhood and lower elementary.
I look forward to meeting many of you when I visit Jarrow next week and to learn more about your child and family. With thanks to the faculty and board for welcoming me and enabling me to help lead this amazing school.
In peace,
Debbie