Sally Keidel returned to AIS after serving as Head of The Montgomery School, a PreK-Grade 8 school in Chester Springs, PA. During her six years as Head of School, Sally embraced the leadership opportunities and challenges inherent in heading a school, leading Montgomery through a visionary strategic plan, implementing a faculty evaluation system, and working closely with the Board of Trustees on a tuition-lowering initiative that led to significant enrollment growth.

Sally, who holds a master’s in educational leadership from the University of Pennsylvania, has enjoyed success in a variety of roles throughout her nearly 30-year career in education — from teacher, to director of residential life, to admissions director. Prior to assuming headship of The Montgomery School, she served as Assistant Head of The Agnes Irwin School from 2012-2014, as well as Director of Admission and Financial Aid from 2007-2014.

"During the search process, Sally impressed us with her clear vision for the future of our school and a love for this community that has never wavered," wrote former Board of Trustees Chair Ginny Sharp Williams ’88. "Confident, yet gracious, and a self-described 'connector,' Sally looks forward to reuniting with our community and leading us into our next 150 years."

Divider Wreath

Welcome to the 2026-27 school year! 

Dear Agnes Irwin Families,

It was beginning to feel a bit too quiet around campus after our summer camps concluded, when more than 200 fall athletes arrived yesterday, bringing so much energy and school spirit along with them! Now it feels as though September 9 will be here before we know it. We eagerly await the return of all our students, from our seniors preparing for their leadership roles in the school, to fifth graders ready to explore Middle School, to our new PreK class, who are just starting their Agnes Irwin journeys.

The work of summer, while different from the pace of the school year, is nonetheless busy and filled with planning. Along with many of our faculty and staff, I've had the chance to participate in professional development opportunities, connecting with Heads of School across the country. These experiences are so valuable to step away from the day-to-day work and think and explore the macro-educational landscape to inform our path at AIS. 

Many AIS faculty engaged in summer work using our professional growth grants. We all deeply appreciate the ability to review and plan during these times, and bring this knowledge and innovation back to Agnes Irwin students and fellow faculty. Our 12-month staff also works through the summer months, and I’m inspired by their dedication to preparing for the school year, ensuring we are student-ready, from getting our facilities in beautiful shape, to updating our admissions materials, to considering thoughtful additions to our practices and academic structures.

All of this goes into creating the holistic Agnes Irwin experience, one in which your daughters feel seen and known, where they can explore their creativity and passions and where their knowledge of both specific subjects and how these are applied to the world around them will intentionally build each year they spend with us.

Core Value for the Year - Strive for Excellence
Every year, we focus on one of our five Core Values to inspire us. During 2026-27, our theme will be Strive for Excellence, which states: “We encourage and support each other to tenaciously strive to be our best as we demonstrate resilience and champion greatness in all our pursuits.” We believe excellence is not about perfection, but about approaching each day with purpose and a commitment to continuous growth. We want to create the conditions to enable girls to stretch themselves, to think deeply, embrace new opportunities, learn from challenges, and celebrate becoming their best selves.

AI Update
As I was reading an article by Alex Kotran, I reflected on our role in preparing your daughters for a world being evolved by AI, while also protecting their ability to think, write, reason, and relate to other people. At AIS, we equip students to navigate and shape an AI-driven world. Aligned with our mission to empower each girl to learn, to lead, and to live a legacy, we refuse to let the convenience of automation replace the fundamental human capacities to think critically, reason, and develop meaningful human connections. 

Agnes Irwin remains steadfast in our devotion to the teacher-student connection, character development, and the safe atmosphere necessary for girls to take healthy risks. To protect the "productive struggle" that is so vital for cementing deep understanding and fostering intellectual self-assurance, our faculty are creating specific AI-free zones and reimagining assessments to prioritize the journey of learning over mere speed. At the same time, we are adopting a thoughtful, age-appropriate strategy to guide our students through using these emerging tools, making a clear distinction between technical proficiency and ethical fluency. Our commitment to developing skills through the Portrait of an AIS Graduate, the AIS Leadership Program, and our Core Values support the growth of self-efficacy, agency, and discernment, which are critical for the changing landscape.

Strategic Plan
We are in the final year of our five-year strategic plan, which has guided our aspirational future. We have been growing as an organization through four strategic commitments: Authentic Inclusivity, Intellectual Curiosity, Personal Wellbeing, and Courageous Leadership. In this final year, we will look carefully at each of the 21 priorities to assess our growth, our achievements and specific areas that need attention. We thank you for your continued support in this important work. We plan to seek your input and feedback as we close this chapter.

It’s going to be another incredible year here at AIS! I’m looking forward to seeing you soon.
 

Warmly,

Sally Keidel