WELCOME
from our Head of School
Meet our Head of School
Bonnie Cassels
Head of School and Executive Director
Bonnie joins The Goldfinch School with nearly four decades of experience in progressive education as a senior administrator and seasoned educator and has been consistently and passionately committed to enhancing the quality of life for young children and their families. She has worked in Early Childhood and Elementary Administration at public and private schools in Boston, MA, Washington D.C., and Charleston, S.C. Most recently, Bonnie was the Owner and Executive Director of Creative Explorers Preschool, which served families in Howard County, Maryland for nearly 25 years.
Bonnie holds both a B.S. and M.S. in Early Childhood Education from Boston University’s Wheelock College of Education & Human Development and is herself a natural teacher and lifelong learner—striving to better understand and transform learning environments by facilitating meaningful interactions and reflections among faculty and young students that expand not only their knowledge but their capacity to understand.
Bonnie is is both an empathetic and a decisive leader. She tackles complex strategic, organizational and curricular opportunities with nuance and care, always with an eye toward building community, supporting parents and faculty, and empowering all students to develop a love of learning. Bonnie is devoted to seeing, and then bringing out, the very best of every student.
In her free time, Bonnie enjoys sharing her love of yoga, hiking throughout the Pacific Northwest, reading, and learning new things. Bonnie and her husband have two grown children, and two grandsons.
A Warm Welcome
At The Goldfinch School, the student experience is at the heart of everything we do. Our students’ development, interests, and sense of who they are—including their culture and emerging identity—all give life to our curricula as it takes shape within each classroom. Throughout their time with us, young students learn to think critically and to impact their world for the better, setting them up to live a fulfilling and meaningful life.
At a time when technology is constantly taking us to new places, and when the very nature of communication and work is changing, there is great value in our program, which promotes collaboration, problem-solving, adaptability, intrinsic motivation, and innovation. Our faculty members use their expert knowledge of child development to create immersive and joyful learning experiences that encourage students to realize their own unique potential. They integrate both planned and emergent curriculum that is ambitious and inclusive, challenging and exciting, and rooted in exploration and interactive play. Through collaborative, inquiry-based projects, children are able to organize their thinking, make connections, and develop important relationships and crucial lifelong skills.
Our blend of academic excellence and holistic support can be seen in how we teach every day. In the Twos and Threes, for example, a 3-year-old’s question about an acorn from an oak tree may lead to a study about the significance of trees, plants, and their role in the natural environment. As children progress through our school, their sense of wonder develops into a critical understanding of our world, how it works, and how it can be improved.
The experience of a Goldfinch education puts our students in an incredible position to apply our practices to this ever-changing, dynamic world. With a preserved sense of curiosity and thirst for knowledge, students move on with confidence and resourcefulness, qualities that allow them to become active and dynamic community members, wherever their experiences take them.
So, it is with joy that I—along with our entire community—welcome you.
Sincerely,
Bonnie Cassels, Head of School
