Princeton NJ Schools Articles

Princeton Area Schools Share What’s New for the Upcoming Year

While many people were enjoying the summer months off, schools around the Princeton area were in high gear getting ready for September 2025. From administrative changes to curriculum adjustments and physical construction, Princeton area independent and charter schools are excited to share what will be different as they welcome students and staff back to campus this fall.

LEADERSHIP CHANGES

Since everything trickles down from the top, having a strong head of school to guide the ship is often of primary importance. Both Chapin School and Princeton Friends School are excited to welcome new leaders this year. 

Chapin said good-bye to Barbara Pasteris after 36 years at the school, opening the door to welcome Steve Bristol as its Interim Head of School. After 13 years at the nearby Hun School of Princeton, Bristol joins the school community from where his children graduated in 2013 and 2016.

Peter Gaines has joined Princeton Friends as its Head of School after decades of experience at independent schools and in Quaker education. Coming from Tandem Friends School in Charlotteville, Virginia, where Gaines helped grow their enrollment by nearly 50% and was instrumental in securing significant philanthropic support. Princeton Friends is also looking forward to its new half-day and full-day preschool class for children ages 3-5. With outdoor-oriented education and a variety of special classes, the children will be amongst those enjoying the new lower school playground on campus.

Elsewhere there are some additional leadership changes that hope to positively impact students as well. Stuart Country Day School is welcoming new heads of both the Lower and Upper Schools! Marianne O’Grady has worked internationally and brings her expertise in education in emergencies and policy change as new Head of Lower School. Kristen Zosche, who was Dean of Student Life for the past five years, will be new Head of Upper School, bringing along previous school experience as Director of Curriculum and Instruction and years as a classroom English teacher. A new Director of Athletics, Chelsea Moran, has also joined Stuart. With 15 years of experience coaching teams, including leading teams to sectional and state championships, they are excited for her arrival. The community is also happy to welcome Mariss Muoio as Director of Strategic Initiatives and Leadership, helping to spearhead the next strategic planning process, advance the of the National Center for Girls’ Leadership at Stuart (NCGLS) and continue the implementation of the Cor Cordis educational philosophy benefitting all three school divisions.

PHYSICAL CHANGES

If you live nearby Hun School of Princeton, you’ve been watching a building get constructed all year long. Hun’s brand new 41,000 sq. ft. residence hall is now opening, soon to be home to 114 students and 12 faculty families! The facility includes kitchenettes, eight lounges and three outdoor courtyards. Also at Hun, the high school athletic program is expanding to include girls ice hockey while also adding boys’ and girls’ tennis teams, martial arts, indoor rowing, and track and field for the middle school. Additionally, this year Hun is expanding its no cell phone policy from just the Upper School classroom to the entire campus at both Middle and Upper Schools.

At The Lawrenceville School, a section of the Lawrence Hopell Trail that had been closed since COVID has reopened – with some changes. Before closing, the trail had an opening on MainStreet near Gordon Avenue, passed through campus from Lewisville Road. Now, a new 1.2-mile segment will open at Clark Gate along Main Street/U.S. 206. The segment follows a gravel road along the perimeter of Woods Field, merges to a paved road and now follows west passing Keuffel Stadium along the perimeter road to the exit.

Also taking advantage of the outdoors and nearly 200 acres of forest and wetlands surrounding its school, Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart (in partnership with Ridgeview Conservancy) has created a new Forest Program. Integrated into its core curriculum, the new program will be hands-on as students take their knowledge of tree species and expand by learning outdoor survival skills, learn to protect habitats, and explore cultural-historic sites. The forest areas will also be used by English, math and social studies classes, as they take advantage of what nature offers to enhance their curriculums.

POLICY AND CURRICULUM UPDATES

As French American School of Princeton celebrates its 25^th Anniversary throughout the 2025-2026 school year, it is also expanding its policy of accepting students with no prior knowledge of French in all elementary grades up to 5 (this previously applied only until 3^rd grade). Students in the Maternelle preschool program will also start being exposed to Spanish as well.

After taking the time to listen and further evaluate its community’s needs, Princeton Day School has refreshed its mission. PDS feels “to cultivate intellectual vitality and strength of character within a community of compassion, shared responsibility, and play” better reflects who it is today. As it looks towards the future, the school is focusing on five core values: humanity, creativity, intellect, joy, and stewardship and has brought back an historic motto, “Semper Luceat” (Always Shine), which it says speaks to how they learn from and support one another. Also new this year, PDS is launching a Family Speaker Series featuring five experts throughout the year on topics such as navigating social media and managing test anxiety.
 

Princeton Montessori School is also working on a revised mission statement that better reflects how it prepares students to be curious, bold and original thinkers. It has an approach to technology in its Middle School that is unique. With its emphasis on ethical leadership and digital citizenship, PMonts student are asked big questions and to solve real-world problems. While utilizing technology, they are taught to recognize its impacts on their lives and engage responsibly.

As it starts its 42^nd year, Princeton Junior School is honoring the 90^th birthday of its founder, Juliana McIntyre Fenn, and celebrating its 10^th anniversary as an accredited Baccalaureate World School. PJS was the first independent elementary school in central NJ to be accredited as an IB Primary Years Program and will be utilizing the coming year to embark on a school-led self-study with students, parents, teachers and the Board of Trustees followed by an evaluation with the IB accreditation team. This introspection will help inspire the next steps as PJS grows. One new change in the curriculum this year is the addition of Math Olympiad for students grades 4-6, helping to nurture and challenge mathematically gifted students.

Summer is busy both on campuses and off, as well as a popular time to catch a break. Therefore, other nearby schools such as Waldorf School of Princeton, The Wilberforce School, The Lewis School of Princeton, Princeton Charter School and YingHua International School of Princeton were unable to share updates with us. We know, however, they are equally as excited as the schools mentioned above to welcome back students, faculty and staff for another year of learning.