After six years of cheerfully guiding and supporting Upper School students and parents and working collaboratively with Upper School faculty and staff, Head of Upper School John Ashton will become the Associate Headmaster at St. Mark’s School of Texas in July 2015. As Associate Headmaster, Ashton will play a key role in providing strategic oversight and direction to St. Mark’s. He will work across all three divisions and with every administrative department, and he will be actively engaged in leading the School forward in every respect.
Throughout his time guiding the Upper School at Hockaday, Ashton has committed himself to improving the lives of our girls and the school as a whole with his encouragement, laughter, professionalism and human-centered approach to his work.
“I love interacting with the students and faculty. My six years in this role have been some of the most rewarding years of my career,” Ashton said. “I love walking the hallways in the morning, talking with the girls and teachers and staff, congratulating students on their athletic successes and arts performances, as well as simply asking them about their experiences on a day-to-day basis.”
During his time at Hockaday, Ashton has been part of several innovative programs. He collaborated with Upper School counselor Dr. Margaret Morse and the Upper School faculty to develop Hockaday’s Whole Girl Program, a thematic approach to guiding girls through Upper School by nurturing a student’s social, emotional and character development. Andre Stipanovic, Upper School Latin teacher, said, “His personal contact with both Upper School teachers and students has helped strengthen the bonds between students and faculty while he has been here. His approachability is one of his best assets, along with a great listening ear. He will be missed.”
Whether examining the need for a later start time to the school day, acknowledging the need to define boundaries regarding the use of email, examining, augmenting and revising curriculum or altering his schedule to make time for a colleague or student, Ashton strives to create a culture that supports students and adults. He believes, “Everything we do should be guided by our mission to nurture the healthy development of girls and by our respect for one another as we work together in support of that work.”
As the Head of Upper School, Ashton has always been cognizant of Hockaday’s mission and working with fellow school leaders and administrators to ensure bright futures for all students. Head of Middle School Linda Kramer says, “John’s vision, professionalism and grounded attitude have made my partnership with him a productive and joyful one. Part of what I will miss is his wisdom that helps me do my job. I’ve learned a lot from him!”
The depth of Ashton’s impact was realized when the Senior Class of 2013 dedicated the yearbook to him. “I was shocked. I never expected nor anticipated this recognition from the students. I will always remember how special that moment felt,” he recalled. A student from the Class of 2013 reflected, “He did everything for one sole purpose: to make school life our second home, which meant giving every student a voice and getting to know each one of those voices. He taught our class the value of happiness and courageousness. We appreciated the lessons he taught us, the extra mile he traveled for us and the utmost understanding he expressed towards us.”
Prior to his time at Hockaday, Ashton served in administrative and teaching roles at St. Mark’s, the Episcopal School of Dallas and public schools in his home state of Indiana. I have no doubt that Ashton will continue to contribute in meaningful, demonstrable ways to the landscape of education as he begins a new chapter at St. Mark’s. While we will miss him in our hallways on a daily basis, we are delighted that he will continue his commitment to Hockaday as parent of Sarah Kate Ashton, class of 2021. Please join me in congratulating Ashton as the new Associate Headmaster of the St. Mark’s School of Texas.
– Kim Wargo
