- Details
- Category: Past Issues
Prep
school's
chief
retiring
THOMPSON --- Marilyn S. Ebbitt, headmistress of Marianapolis Preparatory School since 2001, has announced that she will retire at the end of the 2011 school year.
In her letter of resignation to the School’s Board of Directors dated March 29th, Ebbitt said, "The academic year 2010-11, my 10th year as headmistress of Marianapolis Preparatory School, will be my last. In June 2011, I, too ,will graduate!”
Ebbitt joined Marianapolis as its Headmistress in 2001, when the Congregation of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception ceded daily operations of the independent day and boarding school to the then newly-formed Trinity Foundation, a group of parents, faculty and alumni. At the time the School enrolled 194 students, including 49 boarders and 25 faculty members. Under Ebbitt’s leadership, the School has grown to 318 students, 153 of whom are boarders, and 48 faculty members, and has seen a 100% increase in applications.
Her accomplishments include: Enriching academics by adding more Advanced Placement courses, Chinese as a language choice, and enhancing English as a Second Language programming; Building on art and music programs, including Black Box Theater and Dance Studio opening in the Fall; upgrading Athletics, moving to a more competitive athletic prep school league, adding sports teams, and celebrating yearly championships for girls’ and boys’ teams, and overseeing numerous upgrades to the physical plant, including new classrooms, technology and dorms.
In her letter to the Board, Headmistress Ebbitt said, “I am proud of what has been accomplished in my time here. More than 600 students will have graduated in this decade, a legacy of talent and hope that will continue to make the school strong … and the world better. Marianapolis too has defined a most important period of my life, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have served our School.”
Students from 15 different countries come to learn at Marianapolis each year, offering a rich cultural diversity that is celebrated in daily school life. “Marianapolis is a unique and special community, filled with faculty who go above and beyond, students who care about learning and service, and alumni whose accomplishments give testament to our School’s vision,” adds Ebbitt.
In the year to come, Ebbitt said, she will continue to work hard to build on the school’s successes, and serve as a resource to her successor. A nationwide search has begun for the 12th head of school. According to Board Vice Chairman Keith O’Hara, all Marianapolis constituencies will be included in the search process, including board members, School administrators, faculty, parents and alumni. O’Hara, who is one of the founding members of the Trinity Foundation, and has served beside Ebbitt since her appointment nine years ago, characterizes her as “a woman of character, a tireless and inspirational leader who has truly left her mark on every facet of our school.”
“In the year ahead,” adds O’Hara, “we can count on her continued diligence and dedication, preparing the School for this transition and adding to her legacy of achievement.”