This year, Dr. Betty Noel-Pierre joined the Castilleja community as the new Head of School.
Noel-Pierre had numerous reasons for joining Casti, but at the core was her belief in the power of an all-girls education. This conviction stems from her experiences attending an all-girls school from kindergarten to 12th grade, as well as her previous work at two private girls’ schools in Manhattan–the Marymount School and the Brearley School.
In addition to valuing an all-girls education, Noel-Pierre appreciates Casti’s deep traditions. “There’s so much character and history, which I really enjoy learning more about,” she said in an interview with Counterpoint.
But in the eyes of Noel-Pierre, Casti’s deep-rooted traditions do not prevent the school from embracing future direction. “It seems like Casti is unafraid to be innovative,” Noel-Pierre said. “It interests me in trying to figure out what that balance is: How do we hold onto the pieces that are really valuable and important…and then be unafraid to try whatever that next version needs to be?”
Before joining the Casti community, Noel-Pierre was a science teacher at the Marymount School. Her passion for science followed her to the Browning School, and she eventually became their first Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice. After that, she moved onto her role as Head of Middle School at Saint Ann’s School. Most recently, Noel-Pierre served as the Head of Upper School Student Life at the Brearley School.
What was clear throughout my interview with Noel-Pierre was her warmth and deep commitment to learning from others. Since starting at Casti, Noel-Pierre has engaged in conversations with students, faculty members, parents and alumni, seeking to understand what makes Casti “Casti.”
“My plan this year is to keep listening, learning and experiencing our traditions,” Noel-Pierre said. “I’ve had a great time so far learning more about our academic program, understanding what we do in the classroom and how all of our programs feed into the academic experience here. And, of course, thinking about how that all feeds into the campus modernization.”
Thus, Noel-Pierre created Betty’s Circle, a series of small and casual meetings with parents of Castilleja students. She joins student and leadership team meetings, leads senior advisory sessions, visits classes and drops by Middle and Upper School Meetings.
“I love hearing speeches and just seeing the energy, the games that are played and the joy that’s experienced in those meetings,” Noel-Pierre said.
This winter, she plans to participate in club and class meetings to meet students in more intimate settings. “I’m trying my best to make myself as available as possible and to prioritize smaller groups so that I can get to know people in more meaningful ways,” she said.
Throughout these conversations, she’s found that teachers are truly what make Casti special. Students consistently cite “that teacher who saw something in them and recognized their talent, building their confidence and helping them rise to their next step,” Noel-Pierre said.
Noel-Pierre also said that she values education and community: “Education isn’t just about knowing more, learning more [or] holding onto the knowledge. It’s about sharing and bringing others in and helping your community.”
Noel-Pierre brings this conviction to every space she works in, using this framework to examine the purpose of her work on a larger scale.
“I’ve really tried to think about the importance of what we’re teaching and how we’re teaching it,” Noel-Pierre said. “It’s about how we feel together as a community–how we’re uplifting each other internally–but it’s also about our greater purpose in the local, national and global community.”
In her free time, Noel-Pierre enjoys riding her basket-adorned electric tricycle. She appreciates the trees and loves exploring local parks.
