July 2009

Dear Members of the SBMS Community,
 
I am greatly honored to be chosen to serve as the Head of School for Santa Barbara Middle School. The SBMS faculty and I are deeply committed to enhancing our program and strengthening the relationships and communication between our faculty, students, and parents. I’m very proud of our Middle School program, but I also know that great institutions work to continually improve themselves.  I look forward to your help and support in making SBMS the best school it can be.
 
I can promise there will be a renewed energy, attention, and creativity to the four sides of the diamond, and I would like to encourage your input, participation, and feedback. I also believe it is important for the head of school to stay connected to our students. I would not have accepted this position if it meant giving up my 9th grade World History class or weakening my relationship with the students. Our leadership team and the Board have all committed to stepping up and helping assure that I have the support needed to teach and run the school effectively.  We are lucky to have such committed and capable people as part of our school community.
 
There are many fine schools, both locally and around the country, but few specialize in the middle grades the way we do. When I think about my vision for Middle School, I simply envision our 9th grade graduates: confident, compassionate, and prepared. As you know, the SBMS experience is a graduated process culminating in the 9th grade Rites of Passage ceremony.  Along the way, the faculty members of each grade contribute their expertise and wisdom tailored to that specific age. I would challenge you to compare our graduating 9th graders to students anywhere. Talk to parents, high school teachers and counselors, and the graduates themselves, and you will hear about some amazing young men and women doing more than just getting good grades. You will hear about confident students who ask good questions and look their teachers in the eye. Parents will describe academic successes and the transformation of their children into young adults. Talk to our graduates and you will detect the confidence and self-esteem that will help them deal with the trials and tribulations of life beyond SBMS, because they have conquered the challenges of Honors Physics, Human Geography, and epic rides such as the Dragon’s Spine, Bolinas Ridge, and Babbit Ranch. I am proud to be a part of a school that changes lives for the better.
 
Sincerely,

Brian McWilliams
Head of School
Santa Barbara Middle School
 
Brian@sbms.org