The Board of Trustees of The Academy at Ocean Reef is very honored to announce Jerome Murphy as the new Head of School beginning July 1, 2019.

Upon the retirement announcement of current Head, Christina Simonds, the Board conducted a national search with the support of an executive search firm, considering more than 85 highly qualified educators across the country. After careful consideration, it became clear Mr. Murphy, with his significant experience, was the right person to guide The Academy into its next exciting era of growth.

Mr. Murphy has an extensive background in education, teaching and administration and is coming from a 15-year tenure at the prestigious Stanwich School, a co-educational independent pre-K through 12 school in Greenwich, CT and widely known for their values-based curriculum sewn into an exceptional educational program. For the past eight years, Murphy was the Head of the Upper School at Stanwich (grades 6 to 12) where he developed the curriculum and educational programs. He was responsible for hiring and management of faculty, scheduling, academic guidance, athletics, service learning coordination, as well as establishing guidelines with the Dean of Students. He worked closely with the lower school Administrators and faculty in coordination with whole school academic program. He is very warmly thought of by students of all ages and is known for his homemade chocolate chip cookies he brings in to the Stanwich students weekly.

Prior to his 15 years at Stanwich School, Mr. Murphy worked at Chestnut Hill Academy (Chestnut Hill, PA), Palmer Trinity School (Miami, FL) and Saint Thomas More Preparatory School (Oakdale, CT) in such capacities as English and French teacher, Dean of Students, and a varsity golf and football coach. In his early years, he worked at ABC Television as an intern in public relations in the Sports division.

“Mr. Murphy has the wisdom, experience, and leadership skills necessary to preserve our heritage, nurture our first-class team of faculty and staff, and fulfill our mission of empowering students to succeed by inspiring intellectual curiosity and celebrating both effort and accomplishment,” says Russell Post, President, Board of Trustees.

Jerome’s own education began at Portsmouth Abbey School and received his B.A. in English with a French minor, followed by his Masters degree in Education from Sacred Heart University.

The Board extends its grateful appreciation to Christina Simonds for guiding so well over the past three years and wish her best wishes in her next exciting era.

Christina will remain as a Trustee on The Academy board ensuring a smooth transition for the new Head of School. Please join the Board and The Academy community in welcoming Mr. Jerome Murphy.