Head of School
Education:
Middlebury College, MA; Middlebury, VT
Whitman College, BA; Walla Walla, WA
Teachers College, Columbia University, M.Ed.
Subject Areas at Winch: Head of School
Phone: (347) 328-5622Email: sduncan@winchendon.org
Blessed with an abundance of energy and ideas, Sean directs curriculum innovation at The Winchendon School. This has included, in recent years, the ongoing evolution of Global Dynamics and ColLABs among other important initiatives. After sojourns at Gould Academy and in finance, Sean first came to Winchendon in 2008 and then returned in 2012 after a very brief time away working in an urban charter school. He is duly proud of the evolution of the ColLAB Program and its symposium finale. “It’s just awesome to see the students take so much pride in their projects and celebrate one another’s learning. We talk a lot about how we can empower our students to become more confident and creative people, and this event is a superb platform that puts student growth in these areas on display.” When not energizing a classroom Sean might be running with members of the cross country team and other faculty runners or putting his NOLS training to use somewhere, anywhere outdoors. In 2017 Sean was named founding Head of School for The Winchendon School | NYC. In 2023, Sean and his family returned to Massachusetts and was named Head of School for both campuses.
- Superpower of choice: Superhuman strength. I don’t usually feel the need to hide or avoid things, but sometimes I like to crush obstacles in my path.
- Go-to comfort food: I eat all the foods. All.
- On the bucket list: This will happen (maybe this year), but one day I will winter in Japan and slay the legendary JaPow (which means, I’d like to go skiing in Japan–always a place I’d wanted to visit for culture/food reasons, and Japan is also quietly known for having the most epic powder in the most epic of coastal mountain ranges).
- Which Winchendon class or ColLAB would you most like to take: I would love to take The Blues with James Harrington. First, James was a student of mine, so I think it would be pretty special to have him as a teacher. Second, I think the subject (and the chance to learn how to play the harmonica) is just so rich. It’s a wonderful opportunity to think critically about the history of America through a different lens than we traditionally get to explore it, and it would be a great chance to get out into the world, listen to some blues, and talk to some musicians.
