About Carey

Welcome From Our Head of School

Welcome to The Carey School!

At Carey, students sprint onto campus each day, brimming with excitement and eager to engage. As a school centered on early childhood and elementary education, we marshal all of our resources to these developmental stages because we believe that where you’re educated first matters most. The result is a distinctive Carey magic that sparks across campus from the amphitheater to the Hall of Feathers: it’s a giggle, a question, a smile, a wave. I feel it in our Thinkering lab, in our garden, in our inclusive community, and in our vibrant classrooms. Join me on a tour and you too will feel it in the joyful expressions of our students as they explore new ideas, develop lifelong friendships, and light up our spaces with learning and connecting. At Carey we relish the moments where curriculum comes to life and learning is palpable.

In my twelve years at Carey, it is the joy that has anchored me here, and I am thrilled and thankful for the opportunity to lead this wonderful school. Joyful learning at Carey means so much more than “learning is fun.” It is the result of carefully cultivated environments and curricula that teach students to take risks, iterate, expand their ideas, and welcome novel problems. At Carey, we help students to know and understand themselves as learners. We help them build a toolbox of social emotional skills, preparing them for advanced problem solving and creative collaboration. We help them identify who they are and appreciate the differences that make our diverse community thrive. We help them develop their intellect through foundational academics refined by a highly skilled and engaged group of educators. These components – assessment (which encompasses nuances about each student’s academic profile, motivations, and passions), diversity/equity/inclusion/belonging, social emotional learning, and academic excellence – are the hallmarks of a Carey education, and are key to building purposeful, joyful learning – the stuff magic is made of. 

 At Carey, the magic is infectious. I hope you will take the opportunity to see it in action: spend time on our website, in our classrooms, meeting our families, and especially talking with our students. I am sure you will feel the joy, engagement, and magic and that you will be drawn to it, just like I am.

Sincerely, 

Neely Norris
Head of School