Head of School Search

Dear Members of The Wyndcroft School Community,

On behalf of the Head of School Search Committee, we are thrilled to announce that the Board of Trustees unanimously has selected Wilson Felter to become The Wyndcroft School’s next Head of School, effective July 1, 2025.

Mr. Felter’s selection comes after a comprehensive and thoughtful search process. This began with an in-depth survey of the Wyndcroft community and culminated in campus visits in February, during which three exceptional finalists engaged with students, faculty, staff, and parents. From a diverse and impressive pool of candidates, Mr. Felter emerged as the clear choice. His extensive experience, proven leadership and community-building skills, and deep understanding of educational excellence, especially in Pennsylvania, make him uniquely suited to lead Wyndcroft into the future, while upholding the School’s vision of cultivating tomorrow’s leaders today.

Mr. Felter is a distinguished educator and administrator with over 25 years of leadership experience in independent schools. He previously served as the Associate Head of School at Greene Street Friends School, a PK-8 institution in Philadelphia, and since 2014, as the Head of Middle School at William Penn Charter School, one of the nation’s leading PK-12 schools.

Wilson holds a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from George Washington University, specializing in secondary and elementary administration and supervision. He also earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a member of the Tar Heel’s 1991 NCAA Division 1 National Championship Lacrosse Team. His academic background and practical experience reflect his lifelong passion for education and leadership development.

Reflecting on the appointment, Board Chair Asia Neilson expressed, “We are thrilled to welcome Wilson Felter as Wyndcroft’s next Head of School. Wilson’s authentic commitment to independent school excellence, along with his collaborative nature and visionary leadership, makes him the perfect fit to lead Wyndcroft in the coming years.”

We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to our fellow members of the Search Committee for their dedication and thoughtful approach throughout this process. We are also incredibly appreciative of the many community members—faculty, staff, students, parents, alumni, and trustees—who provided valuable insights and participated in candidate visits.

We also want to recognize Zack Lehman and Lynda Hamilton-Kirk of DovetailED for their expertise and partnership in guiding this search to a successful outcome. As we prepare for this exciting new chapter, we invite you to join us in extending a warm Wyndcroft welcome to Wilson, his wife, Jeanne, and their 3 children. We are confident that their family will find a wonderful home in The Wyndcroft School community.

Lastly, but certainly not least, we want to thank and recognize Tekakwitha for her continued leadership, support, and grace throughout this process. We understand how distracting this process could have been for the school community and it was Tekakwitha’s consistent leadership and drive to keep the school moving forward that has been a key to making it a success!

With gratitude for the continued support from each of you,
Jonathan Lange, Uldrick Jean, Asia Neilson, and the entire Head of School Search Committee

Dear Members of The Wyndcroft School Community,

We are pleased to share an additional update on the Head of School search process. Over the next few weeks, we are very excited to welcome our three finalist candidates to join us on campus for full-day visits. Our candidates will be visiting on the following dates:

• Monday, February 3
• Friday, February 7
• Wednesday, February 12

Each visit will include opportunities for each of you to engage with the candidates and get to know them better. Parents are invited to meet the candidates during two sessions, either in the morning during an in-person session or during a virtual lunchtime meeting via Zoom. Employees will have the chance to join an open session with each candidate at the end of the academic day.

To help you prepare, we will provide an information packet about each candidate approximately 48 hours prior to their visit. This will include the candidate's biography, resume, visit schedule, and information on how to participate. After each candidate visit, we will circulate a feedback survey to all community members to provide input.

We are excited for you to meet the individuals who are being considered for this critical role and really appreciate your participation, support, and involvement, as well as your continued interest throughout the process.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Lange, Uldrick Jean, Asia Neilson
And the full Wyndcroft Head of School Search Committee

Dear Members of The Wyndcroft School Community,

We are writing to share an update on the search for The Wyndcroft School’s next Head of School. Following the application deadline in mid-December, the Search Committee has been working hard, in collaboration with our search consultants at DovetailED. We reviewed comprehensive materials and video interviews for close to 35 applicants. From this pool, the Committee identified a top group of diverse semifinalist candidates whose experience and capabilities aligns closely with Wyndcroft's needs and the input you all provided in the community survey, as described in the opportunity statement here.

Over the past week, the Search Committee conducted interviews with our semifinalist candidates. With careful deliberation, the Search Committee is now confirming a small group of finalists who we feel are the best fit for the role; each of the finalists possess the most extensive qualifications, demonstrate exemplary leadership skills, and share a deep connection to Wyndcroft's mission and core values.

We will soon provide another update regarding next steps in the process, including the activities, dates, and agenda for the finalist candidates’ anticipated campus visits, which will be scheduled during the first half of February.

Thank you for your continued support of this important process. We are very excited about the quality of the candidates who have shown interest to be our next Head of School and the clear value proposition, reputation, and attractive destination that Wyndcroft has become across the Independent School Community broadly!

Sincerely,
Jonathan Lange, Uldrick Jean, Asia Neilson 
And the full Wyndcroft Head of School Search Committee

Dear Members of The Wyndcroft School Community,

We write to provide an update on the search for Wyndcroft’s next Head of School. Before the holiday break, many of you took the time to share your thoughts and insights through a survey that was open to our entire community, and we are incredibly grateful for your thoughtful contributions. Additionally, the discovery visit to our campus by our search firm partner, DovetailED, provided valuable perspectives that further guided this important process.

Drawing from the feedback and insights shared by the community, an Opportunity Statement has been crafted that we believe captures the qualities, expertise, and spirit that our School seeks in its next leader. The statement is now available on the Wyndcroft website and is being shared with prospective candidates to help promote this exciting opportunity. The Committee, supported by our search firm, will continue to accept candidate applications through December 18, 2024.

Updates regarding the search process also will be shared periodically on the Head of School Search webpage. Thank you again for your active participation and ongoing support of this process. Your engagement reflects the strength and dedication of our community, and we truly appreciate the time and thoughtfulness you have devoted to shaping the future of Wyndcroft.

Sincerely,
Jonathan Lange, Head of School Search Committee, Co-Chair
Uldrick Jean, Head of School Search Committee, Co-Chair
The Wyndcroft School

Dear Wyndcroft Parents,

On behalf of the Head of School Search Committee, we invite you to participate in a vital phase of our search process. On Thursday, November 14, our search consultants from DovetailED will be on campus to conduct stakeholder interviews, helping us to identify and understand the qualities you seek in our next school leader.

We highly value parent and guardian input, and DovetailED has arranged two opportunities for you to provide feedback. We encourage you to attend one of these sessions:

• In-Person Parent Meeting: 8:15 – 8:45 AM, following morning drop-off, in the Auditorium.
• Virtual Parent Q&A: 12:30 – 1:00 PM via Zoom.

Your perspectives are essential to our search, and we greatly appreciate your active participation in this process.

Thank you for your continued support,
Asia Neilson, Board of Trustees, President
Jonathan Lange, Head of School Search Committee, Co-Chair
Uldrick Jean, Head of School Search Committee, Co-Chair

The Wyndcroft School

Dear Members of The Wyndcroft School Community,

As mentioned in our November 1 message, we invite you to participate in a survey as a critical step in our Head of School search process. We value your input and believe it is crucial to finding the very best person to uphold and lead The Wyndcroft School community.

We welcome all members of our school community, including all employees, alumni, and current parents, to participate in the survey. Please take a moment to complete the survey by clicking here. Rest assured, your responses are completely confidential and will only be shared with DovetailED, our search firm partner. The survey will remain open until November 15, 2024, so we encourage you to share your insights before then.

Thank you for your participation!

Asia Neilson, Board of Trustees, President
Jonathan Lange, Head of School Search Committee, Co-Chair
Uldrick Jean, Head of School Search Committee, Co-Chair

The Wyndcroft School

Dear Wyndcroft School Community,

The Wyndcroft School Board of Trustees and the Search Committee embrace this significant responsibility in finding our next Head of School. We are pleased to share an update on our collective journey.

Wyndcroft is proud of its mission to nurture well-rounded students who are prepared for future challenges while upholding the school’s motto, Non Sibi, "not for oneself"; As we seek our next leader, we are inspired by Wyndcroft’s vision to cultivate tomorrow’s leaders today through exceptional academic programming. We believe this vision will attract a diverse group of outstanding candidates committed to fostering our community's growth and maintaining the distinguishing traits of a true Wyndcroft student.

Transparency is a cornerstone of the search process. In the coming week, you will receive a survey invitation, offering you the opportunity to share your insights on the characteristics, qualities, and experience essential for Wyndcroft’s future leader. After interviewing several highly qualified search firms, we have retained DovetailED, a nationally recognized firm regarded for its innovative and impactful leadership search model. Their expertise in independent schools, familiarity with our community, and network of capable educators will guide us in selecting the ideal head of school to lead Wyndcroft into the future. The DovetailED team will visit campus in November, allowing you to engage with them directly.

In the days ahead, we will finalize our search committee and launch a head of school search landing page on our website. This resource will feature profiles of the search committee members, updates on the search timeline, an opportunity to learn more about the process to find candidates, and share ongoing news.

We are excited to collaborate with everyone in The Wyndcroft School community, including faculty, staff, parents, and friends, as we embark on this journey to appoint a visionary leader for our school.

Warm regards,
Asia Neilson, Board of Trustees, President
Jonathan Lange, Head of School Search Committee, Co-Chair
Uldrick Jean, Head of School Search Committee, Co-Chair

Dear Wyndcroft Community,

As the new President and the Past President of the Board of Trustees, we write to you with the news that Dr. Tekakwitha Pernambuco-Wise has informed the Board that this upcoming school year will be her last and she will depart Wyndcroft on June 30th, 2025.

First and foremost, we want to thank Tekakwitha for her leadership and tireless support of the Wyndcroft community. Tekakwitha has been a wise and dedicated leader and we are so thankful for the contributions she has made to the school in her time here and respect the decisions she has made to prioritize her family. We are confident Tekakwitha will continue her devotion to the school during this final year with us and will build on the foundation for growth that she and the entire staff have put in motion.

Some notable highlights include:

• The STEM program which is a fan favorite among the students,
• The Woods, an outdoor space that allows our youngest students the chance to thrive using imaginative play,
• The reviving of our Alumnae and Parent Ambassador programs,
• Continued and encouraged staff development,
• The creation of our newly updated Strategic Plan which was a labor of love and will guide Wyndcroft over the upcoming years.

While we are disappointed to see Tekakwitha depart, the Board is committed to ensuring Wyndcroft continues to provide exceptional educational opportunities to our students. We are confident the phenomenal staff and supportive community will allow Wyndcroft to enter its next chapter in our School's storied history.

The Board of Trustees has already begun the process of forming a search committee and developing a transition plan to guide us towards finding our next Head of School. The Board will provide updates throughout the school year and we look forward to another great academic year with Tekakwitha and her team.

We want to thank Tekakwitha again for her time at Wyndcroft and we know she will Go Forth and Do Good!

Asia Neilson, Board of Trustees, President
Bernadette Sparling, Board of Trustees, Past President

Dear Wyndcroft Faculty, Staff and Parents,

I hope you are enjoying the summer break with your children, family and other loved ones.

I have found this school an easy one to love and so it is with a sad heart that I write to inform you that I have decided that the upcoming academic year will be my last at Wyndcroft. The responsibilities I have for my family recently have increased and become pre-eminent. Thus, knowing that it is beyond me to simultaneously care for my elderly parents and the School in the manner they both require, I tendered my resignation to the Board.

As I reflect on the past three years, I am impressed with how much we together have accomplished:

Academics
We strengthened our academic programmes such as STEM, Secondary School Placement, mathematics and learning services to address our pupils who need either accelerated or additional assistance; and established Traits of a Wyndcroft Pupil. Excellence and joy are evident in our new tradition, the Moving Up Ceremony, and in our revered one, Graduation, where we hear from our 8 th graders, poignant recollections of their time at Wyndcroft. They consistently head off to top secondary schools, nation-wide and thrive, often assuming leadership roles on their way to esteemed colleges and universities.

Infra-structure
We built The Woods, an outdoor space that honours the importance of natural play for our youngest pupils; added an Outdoor Open-Air Classroom; and outfitted every classroom with flexible learning furniture, celebrating the importance of meeting the learning styles of each child. We strengthened the safety and security of our school with updated external cameras, stronger exterior doors and impact-resistant window coverings. We developed a strong, cohesive Leadership Team; had a highly successful re-accreditation process; and formulated a new Strategic Plan that will be our North Star for the next 3 years.

Community
We instituted daily, pupil-driven, televised Morning Announcements; held a highly successful and fun Whirlwynd Day of Giving; and fostered a robust Alumni Programme. Our WPTO has sponsored numerous community-building, fun events, that reinforced what a warm community we have and Parent Ambassadors who are a small army of fervent emissaries, have welcomed incoming families at our recently established Ice-cream Socials. Our Bookworm Buddies series has connected our youngest with our oldest children and has become a hallmark programme for our children.

We achieved substantially and have much to celebrate!

My time with you has been illuminating and highly enjoyable. I extend gratitude to our pupils, who are the most considerate I have met in my 3 decades-long career and our parents, who entrust us with their greatest treasure, daily. I have found our faculty and staff hands down the most dedicated I have met, with a Leadership Team who are the hardest working persons I have encountered in schools. Our Trustees are admirably selfless in their service and have nothing but the best intentions for Wyndcroft.

When I depart in June, 2025, I anticipate that I will be carrying with me always the last lines of our Alma Mater, “and to Wyndcroft, dear old Wyndcroft, we will be forever true.” Meanwhile, I eagerly look forward to the upcoming school year where I am sure that working together, we will continue to add to our list of accomplishments. Thank you for a delightful journey.

Go Forth and Do Good,

Dr Tekakwitha M. Pernambuco-Wise
Head of School