From Our Head of School

Dear Friends,

This is an exciting time in the growth and development of The Catherine Cook School. On behalf of all of us, let me welcome you - whether you are faculty or a student, a parent or a visitor, this renewed web presence is a part of our ongoing effort to communicate with all our constituents more efficiently and effectively. Although you will notice a new look and some new features as the site continues to develop, we are committed first and foremost to positive, engaging, teacher-driven content.

The new Catherine Cook School web presence is only one part of an expanded integration of information technology into the educational experience for all here at CCS. I encourage you to visit the pages of this site for more information on interactive whiteboards, computer-based classroom instruction and projects, and more. The use of information technology in education helps drive the development of creative learning, storytelling, research, and organizational skills, all of which will be essential to individual success in the 21^st century.

As always, our ultimate focus is creating lifelong learners of all members of our community, and in our students especially. Everything we do at CCS is ultimately a tool focused on that unifying goal. We hope that you will find this web presence to be engaging and informative, and also to be a tool for supporting the growth and development of the learners in your life.

Educationally yours,

Dr. Michael B. Roberts

Head of School

About Dr. Roberts

Dr. Michael B. Roberts became our Head of School in July 2005. Michael has spent nearly 30 years in education. He has served as a teacher, program director, curriculum director, and from 1988 to 2005 was Head of School at Topeka Collegiate School in Kansas - a pre-college preparatory school for junior kindergarten through eighth grade that grew from an enrollment of 87 to 291 students during his tenure.

Michael is well-regarded as a leader in his field with a number of independent school associations including ISACS, NAIS, and ESHA. He has led strategic planning and diversity workshops for independent school boards and has served on the boards of a number of non-profit organizations. Michael has conducted workshops in the area of Equity and Justice for the NAIS Summer Diversity Institute. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Evaluation Review Committee for ISACS and has served as a Visiting Team Leader for several schools across the Midwest. In addition, he is currently serving as President of the Lake Michigan Association of Independent Schools (LMAIS). Michael holds a bachelor's degree from Central Methodist College and a master's and doctorate in education from Washington University in St. Louis.