Skip to main content

Laura Leonard ’06 Named New Assistant Head of School

The Seven Hills School is pleased to announce Laura Leonard ’06 has been named Assistant Head of School after a nationwide search.

“I’m so honored to serve this community. I went into education because of the teachers and mentors I had here at Seven Hills, starting from my elementary school experience at the Doherty Campus,” Leonard said.

In addition to being an alum and current parent, Leonard has worked for Seven Hills since 2021, starting as a history teacher and is currently the Upper School dean of students. In her new role, Leonard will work to connect students, parents, faculty and staff, and alumni throughout the Seven Hills community.

“Laura has demonstrated a remarkable ability to build community, to re-envision and redesign programs and practices, and connect students’ daily lives to the school’s mission and values,” Head of School Matt Bolton said.

Leonard is succeeding Susan Marrs, who retired at the end of the 2023-24 school year after 53 years with Seven Hills.

Leonard has a B.S. in child development and community health, a master’s degree in teaching history from Tufts University, and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Havard University. Before returning to Seven Hills to teach, Leonard spent more than 10 years as a teacher, team leader, and social studies department head in schools in Massachusetts and Denver.

Leonard said she is looking forward to helping Seven Hills through the unification of the two Lower School programs.

“I am really excited about the role because it is an exciting time. I feel like we have a real opportunity to create a world-class Lower School experience, with a world-class building, and create, starting from the toddler years, a really streamlined, cohesive educational experience that builds year after year and enhances a student’s experience,” she said.

Leonard was selected after a nationwide search conducted by the Search Advisory Committee, made up of Seven Hills teachers and administrators. She will begin her new role in July 2025.

“Laura is known for her dedication and enthusiasm, her creative problem-solving, and her care and concern for her students and colleagues,” Bolton said. “She will bring all of these qualities to bear on her work as Assistant Head of School, a role that will focus specifically on elevating the student, family, and alumni experience and on advancing the school’s strategic goals.”