September 26, 2024 | A Message from Jim Hamilton

September 26, 2024

Dear Berwick Academy Community,
 
At our Fall board meeting, I shared with the Board of Trustees that the 2024-2025 school year would be my last at Berwick Academy. I am honored to have accepted the position as The Peddie School’s seventeenth head of school beginning in July 2025. Peddie is a boarding and day school located in Hightstown, NJ.
Making this decision has been bittersweet. Berwick Academy is an extraordinary place, and my time on the Hilltop has shaped my personal and professional life. I have been inspired by our outstanding faculty and their unwavering commitment to our students, which I experienced both as head of school and as a parent. Our faculty brings to life an innovative, student-directed approach to learning that spans every stage of development, a philosophy I hold close to my heart. 

The school's unique blend of three divisions, unified by our One Berwick mindset, creates an exceptional environment for students and families alike. Our mission of “promoting virtue and useful knowledge among the rising generations” informs everything we do, and specifically the tenets of our current strategic plan, The Courage to Climb.

The opportunity at Peddie brings me back to the roots of my career in a boarding school setting, and my wife Lucy and I are excited to be closer to our two oldest children, who have made their way to the Philadelphia area. While I am eager to embark on this new journey, I cannot overstate the lasting influence Berwick will have on me. From reading cherished stories to our Pre-K students to teaching eighth graders leadership skills each year to shaking hands with every senior as they graduate, I have treasured every moment. 

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to board chairs Barbara O’Connor and Jim Jalbert for their steadfast leadership and support during my tenure. Their partnership, along with the entire Board of Trustees, has been invaluable in helping us advance Berwick’s mission over the past six years.

I look forward to serving the Berwick Academy community with the same dedication and enthusiasm throughout this school year, ensuring we conclude on a strong and joyful note.

With gratitude, 
Jim Hamilton
Head of School
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Berwick Academy

Berwick Academy, situated on an 80-acre campus just over one hour north of Boston, serves 520 students, Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 and Postgraduates. Berwick students are from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and several countries. Deeply committed to its mission of promoting virtue and useful knowledge, Berwick Academy empowers students to be creative and bold. Berwick strives to graduate alumni who shape their own learning, take risks, ask thoughtful questions, and come to understand and celebrate their authentic selves.