New Head of School at Rocky Hill

, an independent, country day school for grades pre-K through 12, dates back 77 years when it began in a one-room building in East Greenwich. It moved to the current waterfront campus in Potowomut in 1948.

However Johathan Schoenwald is only the eighth person to head the school since its inception, succeeding James Young III who completed 16 years there last spring.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Schoenwald received his doctorate in history from Stanford University. He has taught history from the middle school through graduate school level.

His teaching career began at the Hyde School in Maine. He chaired the history department at The Ellis School in Pittsburg and served as Dean and Director of Studies at Princeton’s Rockefeller College.

He comes to Rocky Hill from Hunter College in New York City where he has been the director of the Macauley Honors College since 2005.

Schoenwald and his wife, Jana Bruns, have three children, Lukas, age 6, Tobias, age 4, and Jonas, age 2.

In his address Schoenwald described the influence others had in his life, and urged the student body to think of the role he said others have played in helping us know ourselves.

Following his remarks, three students gave presentations of 10 things the new head of school needs to know.  

Fifth grader Chloe Ponte ended her list with a request for a different dress code in the Lower School.

Eighth grader Douglas Cochran had some tips on where on campus to find the most comfortable couches and best coffee.

Senior Maria Charbonneau advised that when in doubt about the weather it was always best to cancel classes, and welcomed Schoenwald to attend as many school events as possible.

When asked about challenges and opportunities in education, the new headmaster said education is all about giving students transferable skills, so they are prepared for a world that can’t be envisioned today.

“You come back to basics in many ways,” he said, “but we must make sure we are doing our due diligence in technology.

“Blending all those things, having the right skills, making sure you have the knowledge content, assessing that you are doing the right things, that is all part of it.”