Dear Science & Arts Academy Community,

I am writing today to share the news that Tim Costello, our Head of School for the past

10 years, has informed the Board of Trustees that he will be leaving SAA at the conclusion of the 2022-2023 school year to become Head of School at The Independence School in Delaware.

I first met Tim as a parent when my son joined SAA in sixth grade. Since that time, I have had the pleasure of working closely with him as a Trustee and now as the Board Chair. Over the years, Tim has led the school through the challenges of accreditation, development of strategic plans and robust diversity initiatives, initiation of a scholarship fund, and the representation of the school in outside groups like the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) and the Lake Michigan Association of Independent Schools (LMAIS). His leadership during the pandemic was especially impressive as we watched and supported his decisions that redefined what it meant to prioritize the health and safety of the community. Tim’s care and concern for the students, teachers and administration of this school is noteworthy. He has steered SAA into calmer waters and helped to ensure that the students are given the tools they need to go out and become self-assured lifelong learners.

We have been fortunate to enjoy numerous contributions by Ana Costello as well. Whether

welcoming new families, organizing a recognition luncheon for the many SAA volunteers, or working tirelessly on the Spring Benefit, her leadership and good humor ensured that

everything she did was a great success. We will also miss seeing Tim and Ana’s four children, all of whom have grown up at SAA. The Board of Trustees wishes the entire Costello family the very best on their new adventures in Delaware.

As we continue to look to Tim’s leadership throughout the 2022-2023 school year, the Board of Trustees will embark on a search for a new Head of School. Our goal is to share our progress as much as possible during this time. A search committee is currently being assembled and we will be engaging an executive search firm to ensure we have access to the best candidates who are aligned with SAA's Mission and Strategic Plan.

Musician Miles Davis said, “It's not about standing still and becoming safe. If anybody wants to keep creating, they have to be about change.” SAA is a community of bright, creative, engaged students, faculty, staff, families and friends. It is from this strong, enthusiastic base that we shall move forward together and keep creating the best in gifted education.

Sincerely,

Kirsten Bedway

Chair, Board of Trustees

Science & Arts Academy

Dear Science & Arts Academy Community,

With a range of conflicting emotions, I write with news that the 2022-2023 school year will be my final one at SAA. After 25 years since graduating college and moving away, my family and I will be relocating back to the East Coast. In 2013, the move to the Chicago area from the Pacific Northwest was motivated by being a bit closer to family here while seeking an outstanding educational fit both professionally and as a parent. I could not have asked for a better school environment in both realms.

It has been the privilege of my career to serve as SAA’s Head of School. Thanks to the collective efforts of so many, the school's accomplishments include the formulation of two strategic plans, the creation of a scholarship fund, development of our five core values, successful Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) re-accreditation, nimbly navigating our pandemic response, advancing SAA’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and codifying The SAA Experience through academic challenge, artistic expression, and social-emotional learning. SAA has been a cherished place of learning and community for my own children, and I am very proud of the successes both they and the school have achieved.

When you are part of a school community as special as SAA, it should be hard to leave. This was a very difficult decision, as 1825 Miner Street has been a second home for me and my family for nearly ten years. I have quite literally watched my children grow up here, and will be forever grateful for the incredible opportunities they have experienced and the relationships formed with both caring teachers and valued classmates.

SAA celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, and the school stands on firm ground as it looks toward the next 30 years of being the place where gifted children thrive. Enrollment is strong, finances are solid, mission is clear, faculty and staff are immensely talented and dedicated, the parent community is highly engaged and invested, and our students are simply awe-inspiring and at the heart of everything we do.

I am as committed as ever to the school’s mission and advancement of its goals, and will continue to lead with empathy, compassion and care, embracing both a deeply human and deeply strategic mindset as SAA embarks on a search for its next Head of School. I have had the good fortune of partnering with an outstanding Board of Trustees throughout my tenure. They take seriously the responsibility of this process and the Board is dedicated to a comprehensive and transparent search.

I am indebted to my wife Ana for her love and support and our four amazing children who have grown and flourished thanks to SAA. Our next chapter takes us to Delaware, where I am Head-Elect at The Independence School, an early childhood through eighth grade school in Newark, less than an hour from where I grew up.

Please know this is not a farewell letter, as I will be with you through June and most of the current school year is still in front of us. I look forward to building on the positive momentum from the first two months of school, and have no doubt that an exceptional and exciting year is in store.

With deep appreciation,

Timothy P. Costello

Head of School