Since our founding in 1980, Bridge School has been a teacher run school.  Jen Grilly is the Head of School. Jen is also the Older Home Center (see below).

Jen Grilly

(click for bio)

Bridge School's lead teachers are called Home Center Teachers. Jen, Nikki and Angus are the Home Center Teachers. Home Center Teachers teach the core subjects, and have a multi-grade community advisory group called a “Home Center”. Unlike a traditional school, the Home Center does not define which language arts, math, science, and enrichment classes a student is in--these groups are based on student readiness in these topics.

There is one Younger Home Center (grades K-1) one Middle Home Center (grades 2-3) and one Older Home Center (grades 4-6) . The Home Center teacher is their primary mentor for social-emotional growth. Home Center Teachers develop deep and lasting bonds with children and their families because children remain in a Home Center for multiple years.

Nikki Juvan is the Younger Home Center teacher. Nikki brings her passion for the Arts to the Bridge School. She believes very strongly in incorporating the Arts, particularly music and theater, across all areas of the curriculum. Click here for Nikki's full bio.

Angus Barstow is the Middle Home Center teacher. Angus graduated from Bridge School in 2003, and went on to graduate from Wheaton College. Angus has worked with Diane at Camp Keewaydin for years, where he started the knife-craft program, and teaches soccer, and a variety of other camp activities. Angus credits his study of Bhutan in a Bridge Explorations class to sparking a love of Asian studies–he went on to study abroad in Bhutan in college!

Lydia Alberts is a Bridge alum and is thrilled to come back to work at Bridge! Lydia has a degree in Elementary Education and Visual Arts from Wheaton College.  Pre-pandemic, Lydia volunteered at Bridge in our classrooms as an assistant. We are so excited to have her back under the blue roof next year. Lydia will be teaching the youngest math and middle language arts classes as well as arts classes in the afternoon and teaming up with Jen to support the Older Home Center.

Bridge School has an active and committed group of parent volunteers, who teach Explorations and Arts courses, work with classes on a daily or weekly basis and also substitute for teachers.

We benefit so greatly from our volunteers' generous offers of knowledge and time and treasure this role at Bridge School. Our community is rich with committed Volunteers with talent and an interest in sharing.

Volunteer positions are vital to the diversity and expertise we value at Bridge School.

The Board is responsible for fund raising, maintenance of buildings and grounds, publicity and support of the school's mission. The Board, in concert with the Staff, does long-range planning for the future of the School. The Board and the Staff create the annual School budget. The Board accepts suggestions, requests and issues raised by parents and community members. The Board of Directors is made up of 8-11 members drawn from the staff, parents and community.

Current Board members are:

President, Phoebe Vaughan
phoebev@gmail.com

Vice President, Margot Smithson
margot.smithson@yahoo.com

Treasurer, Ellie de Villiers
ellie@elviento.co.za

Secretary, Jill Quackenbush
jillquack@gmail.com

Office of Past President, Margaret Carerra-Bly
margaretcarrerably@gmail.com

Dylan Voorhees
dylan.voorhees@gmail.com

Howard Widelitz
howard.widelitz@outlook.com

Josie Kruse
krusejosie@gmail.com

The Board meets first Thursday of the month. For an updated schedule, please contact the board secretary. Decisions of the Board are reached by consensus. New members are invited by the sitting Board. Bridge School is 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.