For over a decade, Ms. Wong’s dynamic career inspired, impressed, and illuminated the people of L-S. From her innovative course of action during the early COVID-19 outbreak to promoting the Global Scholars program, Ms. Wong is sure to leave a meaningful legacy. This fall, Wong announced her resignation as Superintendent of Lincoln-Sudbury effective in June 2023. The 2023-2024 school year is approaching quickly, but there not yet any news of Ms. Wong’s replacement. However, while the student body awaits the arrival of our new principal, we don’t have to be left in the dark.

Kevin Mathews of the L-S School Committee explains what qualities he is looking for in a superintendent. “Just a few are: strong leadership and excellent management skills implemented through collaboration, a thorough understanding of how an academic institution is run, genuine concern for the growth and well-being of our students,  good communication skills, empathy and compassion” he says. These characteristics mirror the care and empathy Bella Wong  showcased over her time at L-S. In regards to Bella Wong’s legacy, Mathews describes “We owe her a debt of gratitude and should show our appreciation as she heads into the next phase of her career.” As the school transitions into a fresh administration, including new Directors of Athletics and Curriculum, he encourages all to “Just think about how strong our school is and how our programs have evolved over her tenure to fill the needs of our students and help them grow.”

A crucial aspect of the selection process is student, parent, and resident involvement. Although open news about possible candidates is scarce, Mathews assures that looking for a new superintendent is a collaborative task. “The student body was very responsive to both the surveys and the forums and we are very grateful for that,” he says. “We are looking forward to a tremendous amount of turnout and involvement by the students when the finalists visit the campus.”

Once the new administrator has been selected, adjustments within the school only continue. Outlining the agenda for next year, Matthews explains that “For the newly organized committee, the priorities will be onboarding the new superintendent/principal, establishing, through collaboration, the priorities for the new superintendent/principal, establishing the goals for the committee for the year, and working on the budget.”

Finally, when asked how the selection process has gone so far, Mathews shares “We have a great screening committee who are working very well together. Our search firm has found us a large group of candidates and we can sense a tremendous amount of  interest in the position from those candidates.  We have started interviews and hope to conclude them by the end of this week.  All in all, the search is going very well.”

Overall, Wong’s leave promises new opportunities along with big shoes to fill. As the year winds down, the search for our new superintendent is sure to make a mark on L-S.