Orchard House School’s Board of Trustees announced today that Nancy W. Davies, head of school, will retire July 1, at the conclusion of the 2014-15 fiscal year. Since its founding in 1998, Davies has led the Richmond four-year girls’ middle school. Benita Felmus, OHS Board Chair, praised Davies’ success in creating a “transformational education for girls,” noting that “the research-based mission of Orchard House expanded into an accredited and nationally recognized school that stands out for its unique dedication to each girl as a part of a larger community.”
Davies, who holds a B.A. from St. Andrews Presbyterian College and an M.Ed. from Virginia Commonwealth University, was a 2010 recipient of a Klingenstein Heads Fellowship from Teachers College, Columbia University. She was also named the 2010 Distinguished Alumni of the Year from St. Andrews Presbyterian College. During her 40-year career, she developed multiple innovative programs in both public and independent schools, culminating in a particular interest in how best to nurture and educate middle-school girls. A 1994 grant from the Jesse Ball DuPont Foundation allowed Davies to conduct research that led to the creation of Orchard House School. She became a leading national expert in developing curricula and learning environments where girls flourish.
“Being part of girls discovering and trusting their own possibilities, girls developing courage and skills to pursue their own paths, girls gaining deep respect for themselves and genuine respect for others, girls committing to and caring for the world around them all have made for an amazing experience,” Davies wrote in a letter to the school community.
Davies will continue her involvement with the school’s Orchard House Works initiative, which brought together educators, parents, community leaders and internationally acclaimed experts at its March 2014 Global Girl symposium addressing the challenges and contradictions faced by today’s adolescents and adults. Orchard House Works is the school’s channel to serve the broader educational community through community events, one-on-one consultations and ongoing partnerships that encourage and empower all those involved in the lives of students.
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