In August, Michelle Cristella will start her tenure as the Head of Middle School, following the departure of Pankti Sevak, who is leaving Friends to become the new Head of School at San Francisco Friends School.
In her current role as Middle School Head at Speyer Legacy School, Michelle led the school’s COVID Task Force and served as the Director of Secondary School Placement and Dean of Students for Grades K-8. She has extensive experience in curriculum development and programming in diversity, equity and belonging. Bo Lauder comments, “Michelle’s 11-year tenure at Speyer has prepared her well for her work at Friends. She is keenly aware of the responsibility the job carries for the health and well-being of those in her division.” Michelle graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a B.A. in Political Science. She earned a Master's in the Art of Teaching at Towson University in Maryland and a Certificate in Advanced Educational Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
In a message to the Friends community, Michelle wrote, “As I met with members of the community I quickly realized that the mission is the heart and soul of the School, with each and every member fully embracing it and doing their best to embody it. At a young age my parents instilled in me the importance of community—to serve and support one another with compassion, action and empathy. I am delighted to be part of a school which embraces service and social justice through a foundation rooted in Quaker values.” Michelle has spent time at Friends this spring shadowing Pankti and getting to know the Middle School community.
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