By Matt Delaney, Director of Academic Design & Integration

Schools are intricate and complex systems, where the vitality of programs and culture rely on the degree to which the school experience is designed, maintained, and evolved for those involved. As a group of professional educators, both inside and outside of the classroom, we embrace this complexity through a structured network of integrated work groups that ensures collaboration across all areas of the school. These groups function like spokes on a wheel, connecting the diverse voices, perspectives, and expertise of the adult community to a central hub, the Eastside Prep student experience. Together, these groups provide a framework for mission- and vision-driven collaboration.

Eastside Prep’s working group structure reflects our belief in the power of collaboration. We intentionally design systems that prioritize integration, furthering a culture of exchange that reinforces a shared sense of purpose among faculty and staff; a culture that, ultimately, is mirrored in the student body.

Transparency is a cornerstone of this structure. Notes and decisions from each group are shared broadly with the full employee community, providing insight and context on projects in process, and decisions that have the potential to impact some or all of the school community. This openness fosters trust, strengthens collaboration, and ensures that a diversity of voices is heard and valued. We take the stewardship of our professional environment seriously because we know what a positive impact it has on the well-being of students at EPS.

Following are reflections by a member of each working group about their structure and efforts.

Academic Design & Integration Group (ADIG)

By Caitlin McLane, Social Science Discipline Lead

The ADIG consists of nine Academic Discipline Leads (DLs) representing each academic domain of the school program as well as the Director of Academic Design & Integration and Academic Design Coordinator.

The ADIG centers the experience of classroom teachers and ensures that the teachers closest to student learning play a key role in shaping, maintaining, and evolving the academic program. The DLs and their group’s efforts are focused on maintaining alignment between each academic discipline’s philosophy, course offerings, instructional practices, and assessment methodologies.

The group provides a space for DLs to be in community with each other as we plan and facilitate discipline work. We gather to reflect on our roles, advocate for the needs and interests of our disciplines, and think strategically about the future of the academic program at EPS.

This year’s meeting topics have included curriculum mapping, agenda setting, building a work plan, identifying discipline-specific competencies, exploring grading and assessment practices, and enhancing collaboration and collegial dynamics. Our work has also been guided by a strategic agenda set by the Head of School, which this year focuses on developing a more detailed curriculum map, continuing work on grading and assessment practices, and clarifying the role of Discipline Leads.

Two highlights of our work together have been learning more about what each academic discipline is working on and getting to witness distinct leadership styles in action. As the History and Social Science Discipline Lead, I have gained valuable insights from our collaborative work in ADIG and often find myself reaching out to this community when I need support, direction, or creative inspiration.

Academic Design & Integration Group+ (ADIG+)

By Matt Delaney, Director of Academic Design & Integration

At the heart of the EPS academic program are two interconnected groups: the ADIG and its expanded counterpart, the ADIG+. Together, these groups enact our commitment to aligning curriculum, instruction, and assessment with the school’s mission and vision. Their work ensures that the academic experience remains cohesive, forward-looking, and relevant to the needs of students and their futures in society.

By bringing together representatives from every corner of the academic program, these groups ensure that decisions are informed by diverse perspectives and grounded in a shared commitment to excellence. This intentional approach not only strengthens the academic program but also reinforces the culture of collaboration that defines the school.

Building on the foundation established by the ADIG, ADIG+ incorporates additional perspectives from across the school’s leadership and support teams. This expanded group includes representatives from the offices of College Counseling & Alumni Relations; Equity, Inclusion, and Compassionate Leadership; Learning Support; Student Well-Being; and Divisional leadership, ensuring that discussions reflect the full complexity of school-wide academic initiatives. Topics addressed by ADIG+ range from grading and assessment practices to schoolwide competencies to discussions about advanced coursework and approaches to artificial intelligence. The expanded membership ensures that school policy and practice are informed by diverse expertise and aligned with the school’s broader educational priorities within the EPS program and the world beyond EPS.

Academic Operations Group

By Randi-Louise Peterson, Middle School Executive Assistant

Since the fall trimester, I’ve had the privilege to serve on the Academic Operations Group. This group represents the various areas of the school that support academic efforts that happen throughout the year. This includes College Counseling, Academic Integration, Upper School, Middle School, and Student Records. The goal of this group is to lay out all the numerous academic operations and see where we might be overlapping efforts or how we can streamline any academic event. Academic Operations can include anything from attendance, progress reports, Back-to-School Night, parent education, course registration, Middle Band activities, etc.

For example, we recently discussed the topic of our three conference sessions. We reviewed the layout, the goals of each session, and whether they were meeting the needs of parents, students, and faculty. Upper and Middle School Division offices were able to bring in the perspective of event planning. Student Records was able to discuss the scheduling of how Mid-Term and Progress Reports were distributed for these events. Academic Integration brought in their perspective of how these conferences support the faculty’s curriculum plans. College Counseling discussed how the timing of grade report distribution supports college applications. Through those varied perspectives and experiences, we as a group were able to see how we could improve the conferences for the future.

I’m looking forward to seeing how the Academic Operations Group will bridge the gaps between different academic disciplines and events. Most of all, I appreciate how this group ensures that all voices are heard and that diverse perspectives are incorporated into the decision-making processes.

Administrative Staff Council (ASC)

By Angie Sharp, Assistant Director of Athletic Operations

At Eastside Prep, collaboration is at the heart of everything we do. The ASC helps amplify the incredible work already happening across our non-teaching offices by providing a space for representatives to connect, share ideas, and strengthen our collective impact.

Made up of staff representatives from each office and a member of the Senior Leadership Team, ASC meets monthly to support and enhance the systems that keep our school running smoothly. While each department contributes uniquely to the student experience, ASC ensures we stay aligned and connected, so our efforts complement one another seamlessly.

In addition to supporting day-to-day operations, ASC helps nurture the professional and personal growth of our staff through activities that bring us together. This year, we introduced the “Lunch, Learn & Laugh” series, which has been a great way to share knowledge, have fun, and strengthen our connections. From workshops on AI and time management to guided walks and trivia sessions, these events reflect the enthusiasm and creativity that make our community special.

The work of ASC is about building on what’s already great—supporting the strengths of individual teams while fostering a sense of unity.

Campus Operations Group

By Jordan Lettau, Facilities Director

There are many systems, programs, and teams working behind the scenes to conduct a regular school day at EPS. Over 120 staff and faculty members are involved in delivering a regular school day to serve around 900 community members. The Campus Operations Group meets twice monthly to cover a variety of topics, from emergency preparedness to utilizing emerging new technology, campus and building improvement projects, system evaluations, and school events. The members of the group work closely to ensure the critical operations functions are growing and evolving to meet Eastside Prep’s needs.

In addition to Sam Uzwack, Head of School, and Casey Otley, Director of Operations, the Campus Operations Group includes representatives from IT (responsible for server management and tech support), Admissions (planning and executing events and communications to new families), Institutional Advancement (working with the APG and supporting major communication efforts and events), Facilities (responsible for the campus and security), Health Office (responsible for caring for ill or injured students and health records), and Administrative (handling calendars and supporting a variety of organizational details).

Inclement weather protocols provide an example of how the Campus Operations Group functions. On the evening before a potential snow day, the facilities team prepares the campus for freezing temps. On the following morning, that team checks campus and relays conditions to aid in deciding if school should be cancelled. From there, members of the team work quickly to send messages through several platforms to ensure the decision is communicated in a timely and effective manner.

The Campus Operations Group provides the opportunity to support those responsible for the operations of the school in doing their best work to serve EPS well.

Senior Leadership Team (SLT)

By Casey Otley, Director of Finance and Operations

The SLT is responsible for strategically leading the school by unifying efforts, expertise, and intent across all aspects of the EPS community. SLT consists of fourteen members representing all areas of the school, from academics to operations. SLT works collaboratively to ensure that the school’s objectives are met through a shared vision, ensuring alignment between day-to-day operations and long-term priorities. By bringing together members from various offices, SLT takes a collaborative approach to prioritize the overall success of Eastside Prep.

SLT convenes three times over the summer to ensure the school’s initiatives, which we call work plans, are aligned with the school’s strategic priorities set by the Board of Trustees. These meetings provide a more in-depth analysis of the school’s daily operations and long-term direction, evaluating the alignment of current initiatives with the school’s overall mission and values. The team uses this time to discuss broader challenges and opportunities to ensure future success. The first of these meetings occurs in June, which allows a timely reflection of the just-completed academic year. Our July meetings are largely spent on longer-term strategic initiatives while the August meetings focus on preparations for the upcoming academic year.

During the school year, SLT meets weekly to address tactical topics, focusing on decisions that need to be made on current activities—event schedules, academic happenings, emergency preparedness, and daily operations, to name a few. The weekly interval ensures that the school is responsive to immediate needs.

In short, an objective of SLT is to clear obstacles that may prevent the activities occurring on and around the EPS campus from achieving the goals established by those delivering the programming and completing the operational tasks.

Student Life

By Karla Harris, Student Life Coordinator

One of my favorite things about the EPS community is that every adult on campus is committed to creating a great experience for the students. Specifically, as the Student Life Coordinator, the core of my responsibilities centers around creating innovative and unique experiences for the students. I work with the Student Leadership Council, which is an elected group of students who work together to plan social events for their peers. In addition to supporting the students, I am also part of the Student Life work group who support our students in their extracurricular experiences.

The adults on the Student Life work group represent EICL, athletics, outdoor education, arts, and the Upper and Middle School divisions. The group meetings are an opportunity for the representatives of each area to discuss any updates and, more importantly, to collaborate with one another on the topics that affect our students’ campus life. We discuss proposals from our Student Leadership Council, student community projects, Middle Band programming, and even scheduling conflicts across divisions.

The TALI Mission guides us as we discuss our wide range of topics. Students get very excited about their ideas and as a work group, we consider the student life experience with a careful lens of providing quality experiences. We can model for students and guide them through a process of critically thinking about their ideas and how those ideas can best serve their community. By asking students to consider the ultimate purpose of their request, the potential outcomes and conflicts, and look for possible collaboration opportunities, the group helps students understand what it means to be a compassionate leader in their community.

EPS is an academically rich school that supports students in their journey as they try new things and discover new interests, and the Student Life work group works to support these discoveries.