Former International Baccalaureate (IB) Coordinator, Mr. Chad DeMagistris moved to Shelburne, Vermont with his family this summer after 11 years of service at the school. Ms. Julie Cantor, who was an assistant principal at the school last year, has switched positions to fill the vacancy.

Mr. DeMagistris’s family relocated to Vermont due to an unexpected employment opportunity for his wife. Although, he is sad to leave the school and the Washington D.C. area, DeMagistris looked forward to the change. “[The school] was a fun place to work and learn,” Mr. DeMagistris said. “I was fortunate to work with some of the finest administrators, teachers, students and parents in the country. I am proud to have been on a leadership team that provided thousands of students the opportunity to participate in the IB programme.”

Mr. DeMagistris was a well-used and well-known resource for many students in the school. Full and part time IB students often worked with him directly. His departure was a surprise to many. “He was always there to answer any questions or try to make your schedule fit better,” senior and full IB student Annabelle Bailey said. “I’m sad to see him go, especially for my last year here.”

Nevertheless, IB students are looking forward to working with a new administrator. “Although we’ll miss [Mr. DeMagistris], I’m sure the IB programme isn’t going anywhere; next year should prove just as successful as the last few have been,” senior and full IB student Abby Fry said. “I’m excited to see what Ms. Cantor brings to the job since I haven’t had the chance to get to know her yet.”

Ms. Cantor has a bachelor of arts degree in history, a master’s of education degree and an administrative certificate. She has taught social studies, Spanish and English as a second language in Amherst, Massachusetts and in Fairfax County. In 1999 she started at W-L as a history teacher. “I am both curious and fascinated by history,” Ms. Cantor said. “I had a couple of professors in college who really sparked my interest. History became less about memorizing facts and dates and more about the story of humans over time.”

Since coming to the school, Ms. Cantor has interacted with nearly every staff and student group who works or learns here. As part of the administrative team, she worked closely with students, like the leaders of the Student Council Association (SCA), to make sure that the school ran as successfully as possible. “I really enjoyed working with students to help them overcome the challenges in their lives and to be successful,” Ms. Cantor said.

After being at the school for many years, Ms. Cantor is excited to be taking on a new role on the school’s administrative team. As soon as she heard the IB Coordinator job was available, she decided to apply for the position. “I’m excited,” Ms. Cantor said on her new capacity. “It is an opportunity for me to grow professionally and to take on new responsibilities.”

Cantor is passionate about the IB Programme and is ready to encourage new students to utilize the school’s IB classes to try new things and expand their knowledge. “IB offers high school students the opportunity to participate in a well-rounded offering of courses and to really challenge themselves with high level course work,” Ms. Cantor said. “The classes are designed to get students really thinking about what they are learning and to internalize that learning so that it sticks with them.”

Mr. DeMagistris was happy to leave the IB Programme in the hands of Ms. Cantor. Having worked with her often during his time at the school, he knew that she was more than qualified for the job. “My advice to Ms. Cantor is to have fun,” Mr. DeMagistris said. “She is an experienced educator, and I know she has what it takes to continue and improve our tradition of academic excellence.”