Kirby Hall School is pleased to announce that Ms. Paige Arnell has recently been named as the new Head of School, effective from December 1, 2024. Ms. Arnell is one of only a small handful of people to serve in this leadership position since the school’s founding nearly 50 years ago.
Ms. Arnell has been associated with Kirby Hall for more than a decade, both through teaching Language Arts/English classes and acting in administrative roles, previously as the Dean of Curriculum. She holds a B.A. from the University of Dallas and a M.A. from the Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College. Ms. Arnell has experience teaching in other private/independent and public schools both here and in Dallas. While her primary focus was originally literacy, her interest has expanded to a broader study of systems of education and how they impact learning for all students. Throughout the years she has undertaken numerous classes in professional development, most recently completing coursework for Creating Cultures of Thinking: Exploring the Purpose and Promise of Schools offered through Harvard’s Project Zero. She is also engaged in a writing and research project exploring the intersection of household technologies and historical studies with Baylor University.
During her time at Kirby Hall, Ms. Arnell has:
● Advanced language arts and math curriculums, and served as a chief advocate for developing the school’s adjacent urban garden space which is now a NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat
● Reimagined a new middle school program set to launch in the coming fall featuring the high academics associated with Kirby Hall while devoting extra attention to the unique social and emotional needs and challenges of adolescence
● Helmed a centennial capital campaign to restore and revitalize the school’s 100-year old campus, Helen M. Kirby Hall, a registered City of Austin historic landmark
Kirby Hall School (a Cognia-accredited institution) opened in 1976 and serves children (PreK4 through 8th grade) from all cultures, faiths and backgrounds who are academically and creatively curious.
