Meet the Head of the Churchill School

Thank you for taking the time to visit our website. Let me tell you a bit about our community. 

Here at Churchill, we believe every student deserves to have a great day at school. 

We know that what goes into a child having a great day at school depends on so much – their academics, interactions with school professionals and each other, and experiencing a sense of belonging. That is why we strive to create a learning community rooted in our Core Principles and research-based education practices. A community where every student has the tools and resources they need and where they feel seen, heard, and cared for.  

Our responsibility is to lower the barriers, not the bar. Our students thrive in a challenging and supportive environment with caring teachers who are experts in their fields. We lean into that expertise and model for our students how they too can be experts as they grow and learn. We’ve recently made some structural changes shifting our K-12 program from three distinct divisions to two divisions: Lower School (grades K-6) and Upper School (grades 7-12). This change provides a smoother academic pathway for our students. The decision-making process we went through to shift our model, like all of our decisions, began with the student, and from there, our programmatic choices followed.

We know that what is right for one student is not necessarily right for all. We develop and refine the most effective teaching methods for every student, combining curiosity, creativity, and technology with our deep understanding of the total person. Our ultimate goal is beyond academic achievement, it is for students to explore all that’s possible — to understand and pursue their talents, interests, and dreams.

Churchill recognizes that we all bring something unique to the community. Thus, we celebrate our differences and build understanding and compassion. Through celebrating differences, we learn, grow, and often find that we have more in common than not. The ability to bring all of ourselves to every interaction strengthens our community and enables all to feel welcome here at Churchill.

Our students are successful, not just because of the work they put in but also because of the home and school relationship. The partnership we have with families is paramount to the success of our students. Together, we are a team, and as such, we support our families as well as our students. Through the Churchill Center, we bring families resources, educational opportunities with renowned specialists, and ways to connect.

At Churchill, we also embrace our shared humanity and encourage our students to live into our core values of integrity, respect, kindness, responsibility, and perseverance. Empathy towards others is woven through every aspect of our educational approach and inspires how we show up for one another every day.

We use the hashtag #OneChurchill. For us, that is more than an expression. It is who we are as a learning community. There is no place else I’d rather be. Come and see for yourself. We can’t wait to meet you! 

Sincerely,

Timothy P. Madigan, Ph.D.

Head of School