Berlin Native, Alumna to Take Helm at Mooreland Hill School

Mooreland Hill School in Kensington has announced that Reed Rathgeber has been named to the position of Head of School at the college-preparatory school, effective July 1.

A Berlin native, Rathgeber is a 1996 graduate of Mooreland and is described as a dynamic, positive and enthusiastic educator and leader. She will be the first female leader in school’s 85-year history.

Currently a teacher at the John Pierce School in Brookline, MA, Rathgeber has been a leader and educational innovator for the past decade. She developed a social studies curriculum for the Town of Brookline and trained teachers how to effectively set up, use, and integrate Google applications into their classrooms. She also worked with administrators and parents to use information technology for better communication between school and home. Rathgeber also has coached girls’ field hockey and softball, and boys’ basketball.

“Reed is uniquely qualified for this role. As an accomplished educator and Mooreland graduate, Reed understands and appreciates the value and significance of an MHS education and the MHS experience. The Board and Founders are confident that she will continue the mission of the school and inspire those around her,” Mooreland Board of Trustees President Shirley Bendza said in a statement.

Rathgeber’s appointment follows the recent death of beloved former Head Michael Dooman after a courageous battle with cancer. Rathgeber became a teacher because of her inspirational teachers and mentors, Dooman and his wife, Sheila Lavey.

“I am excited about going back to Mooreland,” said Rathgeber. “I am really looking forward to working closely with the teachers, parents, students and alumni of the wonderful school community that helped make me who I am.”

Rathgeber also is a graduate of the Westminster School in Simsbury and she earned her BA at St. Lawrence University and her MAT at Simmons College.

For eighty-five years, Mooreland Hill School has prepared children for the challenges and opportunities awaiting them in secondary school and college, and also in life. With a long history of strong academics and individual attention, the school’s faculty continues to provide the opportunities and the education that enable children in grades K-9 to explore and question the world around them. It is the faculty’s spirited and knowledgeable teaching that brings a sense of wonder and exuberance to the process of discovery.

Mooreland Hill School will host an open house on Saturday, Feb. 7, from 10 a.m. to noon at the 166 Lincoln Rd. campus in the Kensington section of Berlin. Call the school at 860-223-6428 to RSVP.

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