There’s a new Head of Kingsbury School and he’s ready to help ‘reenergize? every aspect of the independent learning institution from student enrollment to curriculum to marketing itself.
‘I’ve done a lot of work helping schools redefine their direction,? said 56-year-old Gilbert Webb of his new position as head of the Addison-based school.
Over his career, Webb has served as the Associate Head of School and Admissions Director at Charlotte Country Day School in North Carolina; Head of School at Carolina Day School in Asheville, North Carolina; Head of Middle School at Durham Academy in Durham, North Carolina; Science Department Chair and Head of Middle School at Allen-Stevenson School in New York; and Director of the JK-8 Campus and Head of Middle School at Hawken School in Lyndhurst, Ohio.
Webb’s top priorities at Kingsbury include increasing student enrollment and increasing public awareness of the school nestled on a rural 125-acre campus at the intersection of Hosner and Oakwood roads.
‘We’re off from where we’d like to be (in terms of enrollment),? said Webb, who’s been an educator and administrator in independent schools since 1970. ‘The school is not extremely well-known outside the immediate Kingsbury community . . . We’ve engaged in some new marketing initiatives to try to change that.?
To ensure Kingsbury remains competitive with both public and private schools, Webb said ‘over the next couple of years? the school will be reevaluating its Junior Kindergarten through eighth grade curriculum in every department.
‘Periodically, it’s important for all schools to reevaluate their curriculum and programs,? he said. ‘We want to make sure we have a good strong curriculum that reflects the needs and talents of our students.?
‘We recognize we’re in a competitive market, so we have to see what the competition is doing and make sure we don’t have any holes or gaps in our program,? Webb added.
When he’s not helping revitalize Kingsbury in his administrative role, Webb will be enriching minds in the classroom. Since 1970, he has taught math, science and environmental studies to students in grades three through eight.
‘In independent schools it’s very common for administrators to teach one or more classes along with performing their administrative work,? Webb said. ‘I’ve taught most of my career anywhere from one to four classes at a time, depending on the situation.?
Although he won’t be teaching in his first year as Kingbury’s Head of School, Webb said, ‘I’ll probably pick up a science class in the near future.?
He inherited his love of science from his father who taught the subject in public school for 30 years.
When asked about his philosophy as an educator, Webb boiled it down to ‘trying to provide personalized education? to students.
He said ‘too often? students are placed in ‘large groupings? in which everyone is given the ‘same dose? of material.
Webb said independent schools try to structure their curriculum ‘in a way that makes it more personal for each family and each learner.?
‘It’s not individualized instruction. We still teach in groups, but the groups are much smaller? and the ‘relationship between teacher and student is very significant.?
‘It’s the cornerstone of what we do,? Webb said.
One of the goals of independent education is that ‘every child will get to know their teacher and feel as though they can interact with them on a one-on-one level very comfortably.?
The result is lasting relationships between former students and the school.
Webb said he was recently contacted by a Kingsbury Alum who’s about to obtain her doctorate. She wanted to know if her family could celebrate her academic achievement at Kingsbury, so she could complete her education at the same place it began.
‘That’s the kind of personal connection people make here,? Webb said.
Webb will be making his own ‘personal connection? with Kingsbury School as he and his wife of 18 years, Betsy, now reside in a home on campus.
Although he’s spent the majority of his career in North Carolina and was born and raised in Altuna, Pennsylvania, Webb and his wife are no strangers to Michigan. Betsy is a native of Birmingham and the couple has a summer home in Traverse City near Glen Lake.
While the couple has no children, Webb said, ‘We’ve always made the school our extended family.?
Upon visiting Kingsbury’s ‘beautiful? campus for the first time, Webb and his wife ‘immediately felt a kinship with the community, the people and the environment.?
‘This feels like a very good match.?