For the first time, Director of Upper School Kimberley Berndt, who started at Penn Charter this year, spoke to the assembled grades 9-12 in an assembly in the Ball Theater.
Berndt reflected on changes that occur within a school, even as the motto, building and name remain the same.
"The reality is that each of us here today has already changed the history and the future of Penn Charter," said Berndt. "Your presence in this community has had an impact on another person and likely caused a ripple effect that transfers both across our current school and has the capacity to impact the future of our school. Good things are contagious."
Prior to joining Penn Charter in July 2022, Kim served as director of upper school at the Laurel School in Shaker Heights, Ohio, where she was responsible for the direct supervision of the faculty and the implementation of the student academic program. In addition, at Laurel, Kim implemented a professional learning community structure for the grade 6-12 faculty to grow as teachers, and she led the school's evaluation of its signature programs, identifying the next iteration of those programs. She also taught and led at St. Mark's School in Southborough, Mass., Trinity School of Midland, Texas, and Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Conn.
Kim earned a master of education in advanced instruction–STEM from the University of Southern California and a bachelor of arts in biology from Oberlin College.
Read the full announcement of Kimberley's hiring at Penn Charter.