Heading into its 15th year, The New Century School made some “strategic” changes. A big one is Ann Marie Simonetti’s new role as Head of School and Director of Strategic Initiatives. Ms. Simonetti is not new to TNCS, however, having served as TNCS Admissions Director since 2021.

With her extensive background in nonprofit education, she brings a strategic approach to her role, emphasizing the importance of planning in various aspects of school management, including enrollment, marketing, family engagement, and financial sustainability.

It’s All About the Strategy!

As part of her Director of Strategic Initiatives, er, strategy, Ms. Simonetti is focused on aligning TNCS’s initiatives with its Core Values and Portrait of a Graduate.

She aims to create a shared understanding of the school’s objectives among leadership, faculty, staff, and the newly formed steering team. This approach ensures that everyone is working toward common goals, both short-term and long-term. “I think everyone must be tired of hearing me say the ‘S’ word—strategic,” she joked. “But, in all seriousness, the purpose of strategic initiatives is to serve our families’ needs as they evolve and ebb and flow.”

Organizational Approach

The school has recently adopted a more collaborative leadership model, moving away from a traditional hierarchical structure to a flatter, more circular organizational approach. This shift aligns with the agile philosophy, which emphasizes transparency, flexibility, and shared responsibility. To implement this approach, Ms. Simonetti uses a Kanban board—a visual management tool that helps track tasks, their progress, and who’s responsible for each item.

The newly formed steering team is another initiative aimed at increasing stakeholder engagement. This team, composed of families, faculty, and staff (with potential for student ambassadors in the future), provides a platform for sharing ideas, discussing successes, and addressing areas for improvement. It serves as a continuous feedback loop between the school community and leadership. Ms. Simonetti describes it as “giving families and faculty and staff, depending on what we might be working on or toward in a given season, a venue to bring ideas to the group, share successes, and what areas might need improvement.”

The 3 Cs” Communication, Community, and Connection

Communication is a crucial aspect of Ms. Simonetti’s strategy. The school has implemented a structured communication system, including daily reports for preschoolers, weekly newsletters for different grade levels, and a monthly “Third Thursday” update. Ms. Simonetti also writes a Head of School newsletter, which she sees as an opportunity to connect with families and share important information and reflections. “I see it as another way to connect with the community and do that in a really purposeful way,” she explained.

Ms. Simonetti emphasizes the importance of community and connection in her leadership approach. This was exemplified in a recent staff development activity in which the team walked the school’s labyrinth as a mindfulness exercise and sang together, setting an intention for the upcoming school year: “The way we come together as a group reflects the way that we’ll be able to bring students together in our school community.”

Customer Centricity

More Cs! Ms. Simonetti has also introduced a customer-centric model to TNCS, drawing inspiration from the Ritz-Carlton’s renowned customer service approach. During a staff development week, she used Ritz-Carlton training materials to help the team understand how to create positive experiences for students, families, and the broader community.

This approach ties into the Montessori philosophy, which emphasizes sensory experiences and mindful interactions.

Through these various initiatives, Ms. Simonetti aims to foster a connected, engaged, and purposeful school community at TNCS, where everyone understands their role in contributing to the school’s mission and success. “I start with the mission statement every time,” she said, “even if it’s for a group of people familiar with it because it’s the why. It’s why we are here in the first place.”

Ann Marie Simonetti—here’s to a great year with you helping steer the ship!