Dear SDA Community:
I am writing to share with you that our Head of School, Sarah Degnan Barbi has resigned effective immediately for personal and family reasons. We share our best wishes for Sarah and her family and thank her for her five years of stewardship at 2572 Kennedy Boulevard.
The timing of this decision is less than optimal, however, the Board of Trustees and The Sisters of St. Dominic of Caldwell are dedicated to finding a new Head of School who will provide the leadership necessary to move us into the future while preserving our culture and values. Given the realities of a search calendar, it is necessary for us to look for an interim leader first for this coming academic year. To that end, we have formed a search committee and will expedite the selection of an Interim Head of School. We will establish a broader search process for a permanent Head of School beginning this fall. We have engaged and will partner with Educational Directions, a leading academic search firm to guide us in both search efforts.
We begin our 143rd year at SDA with a thriving student body of both upper and middle school students. We have survived COVID, retooled the school to provide safety and security for our students, and have welcomed our new MEDQUEST program which will debut when school opens with brand new facilities and equipment. Our athletic programs continued throughout the pandemic and our teams excelled despite the challenges. Peter Pan flew through virtual space this spring, the Dance Team never stopped dancing and The Dominoes will be back together in song as we open full time in person in September. The Class of 2021 is successfully off to their next adventure and we welcome the 65 student strong Class of 2025 to our sisterhood.
We will keep you updated as information becomes available. We look forward to including the perspectives of all constituent groups as we move toward identifying a permanent replacement. I know I speak for the Board when I share my appreciation for our tireless and dedicated administration, the faculty and staff who continue to educate and support our students.
Sincerely,
Cathleen Callahan, ‘73
Board Chair
Update for Jan 10, 2024: Due to potential flooding & power outages, SDA will have a 90-minute delayed opening for all community members. Exercise caution for safe travel.
Building opens at 9 AM with student supervision available. Please refrain from bringing children before 9:15 AM.
SDA bus will run on a 90-minute delayed schedule.
Classes start at 10 AM following an E day schedule.
If there’s a need to close SDA tomorrow, we’ll notify the community by 6:00 AM.