Olympia, WA January 18, 2013
NOVA School announces the appointment of its new Head of School, Barbara Mitchell Hutton, effective July 1, 2013. NOVA School is an independent middle school for highly capable students, offering a challenging and engaging curriculum in a uniquely personal environment. NOVA guides the social and emotional development of each student, emphasizing respect, responsibility, and active participation in a supportive community.
Ms. Hutton, a national leader in gifted education, will become NOVA’s new educational leader following the retirement in June 2013 of NOVA’s current Head, Jack Fallat. NOVA’s Board of Trustees selected Ms. Hutton from a strong applicant pool of more than 50 national and international educators, based upon an inclusive multi-stakeholder process that began in June 2012. The process involved parents, students, faculty, staff, and the NOVA Board of Trustees, with assistance from the Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools and advice from other educators in the Puget Sound region.
Ms. Hutton founded the Rocky Mountain School for the Gifted and Creative, in Boulder, Colorado, where she served as Head of School for 19 years. She also served as Interim Head for the Helios New School for gifted children, in Palo Alto, and as an instructor in the Gifted Endorsement Program at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Ms. Hutton has extensive experience as an educational consultant, helping parents, educators, and others understand and support gifted learners, and develop programs for them, and helping non-profit organizations maximize their potential. She has been a frequent presenter on gifted education at conferences across the country, including the National Association for Gifted Children. Ms. Hutton holds a B.A. in Sociology and Social Work and an M.B.A. in Nonprofit Management.
Upon asking Ms. Hutton about her upcoming headship at NOVA, she responded, “I am thrilled to become part of the NOVA School and the South Puget Sound community. Building on such a strong legacy of service to middle school age learners and their families is a privilege. Engaging with highly capable and gifted middle school students during these important years of exploration, growth, challenge and change is an adventure which I am eager to begin.”
NOVA School anticipates that Ms. Hutton’s tenure at NOVA School will allow NOVA to build on its strong foundation and continue to grow its offerings to this unique band of students in the South Puget Sound area, many who come from public elementary schools and return to public high schools. In addition, Ms. Hutton’s strong background in gifted education will enable NOVA to reach out to the local community and share some of its best practices with other educators, parents, and others interested in serving middle school aged children.
