Summer 2026 Professional Development for Faculty, Staff, and Administrators

History teacher and Director of The Innovation Lab Alex Northrup was one of 16 teachers from the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. selected to participate in the "Summer Stars Program: Teaching with NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory," from July 13-17 in Tucson, AZ. Participants were given access to early data from the just-opened Rubin Observatory to bring back to their classrooms. The group spent three days at Kitt Peak National Observatory, located in the Tohono O’odham Nation outside of Tucson. They also toured several important sites on or near the University of Arizona campus, including the Caris Mirror Lab, which is located underneath the football stadium. Mr. Northrup is looking forward to implementing his learning into his Introduction to Astronomy elective in the spring semester. You can read more about the program here.

As a member of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) Think Tank, Dean of Inclusive Excellence Ranata Davis worked with educators representing a range of independent schools from January through August to plan the Teaching and Learning Institute with VAIS Director of Professional Learning Dr. Darcie TeVault, which took place in Richmond, VA, at the beginning of August. Ms. Davis designed and moderated a panel discussion for early-career educators and co-led a workshop titled “A Model for Great Teaching: Creating a Supportive Environment and Understanding the Content,” which explored proven educational frameworks that cultivate classrooms built on trust, respect, and high expectations.

Director of Academics Steve McCarty attended the Blackbaud User Conference from July 15-17 in Boston, MA. During the three-day conference, Mr. McCarty dove into workshops ranging from "Master Mastery Learning" and "Drive Impact with Student Success Insights: Configure, Impact, and Innovate" to "Crushing Complex Schedules with AI" and "Connected, Informed, Empowered: Elevating the Parent Experience with Blackbaud." His learnings from the conference will inform the myFoxcroft user experience for Foxcroft students, parents, and faculty and enhance the learning management system infrastructure supporting the School's academic program.

Librarian Laura Ogelman attended James Madison University's Renewable Energy Academy, hosted by the Center for the Advancement of Sustainable Energy (CASE). Ms. Ogelman attended with an educator grant from Google. The four-day professional development program offered hands-on training to learn about the U.S. power grid, solar energy, wind energy, and battery storage. For several years, Ms. Ogelman has enjoyed volunteering with an annual renewable energy contest called the KidWind Challenge. As a parent volunteer, she has worked together with CASE leaders, assisting with wind and solar projects. She plans to introduce Foxcroft students and faculty interested in learning more about renewable energy to the KidWind Challenge.  

Director of College Counseling Laura Moan attended the gcLi Leadership Institute at Stevenson School in Pebble Beach, CA. “It was an incredibly rewarding week of learning, thinking, and sharing ways that we can best develop leadership in our students,” shared Ms. Moan.

Ahead of joining the faculty at Foxcroft, two new members of the STEM Department participated in summer professional development. STEM teacher Carrie Gauchat spent a week at The NEED (National Energy Education Development) Project's Annual Conference for Educators in Nashville, TN, collaborating with fellow educators from around the country to put together engaging, student-centered lessons about the science of energy, energy sources, the challenges of future energy extraction and production, and innovations in efficiency and conservation. STEM teacher Ashley Clendenen participated in an online AP Summer Institute for Statistics, a content-rich training designed to strengthen how faculty teach their AP courses.