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School Leadership

Trish Dougherty, Head of School

Trish Dougherty is a dedicated educator and school leader with more than 25 years of experience in independent schools. She is a graduate of Washington & Lee University, where she earned a B.S. in Business Administration, and later pursued her passion for teaching by completing a Master’s in Elementary Education at Marymount University.

Trish began her career at St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School in Alexandria, VA, where she taught fifth grade for 15 years. During this time, she also served as a faculty member and co-director of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) New Teacher Institute, a summer program designed to support educators new to the profession or to independent schools.

Her career then took her to The Walker School in Marietta, Georgia, where she spent seven years as Lower School Assistant Head and then Lower School Head. It was here, and through her years in the classroom, that Trish developed a deep commitment to supporting students with language-based learning differences, particularly dyslexia, and became a strong advocate for early intervention.

Most recently, Trish served as Assistant Head of School at Green Hedges School in Vienna, VA, where she especially enjoyed working closely with preschool students and faculty. This experience reaffirmed her passion for early childhood education and early literacy development.

Today, as Head of School at The Country Day School, Trish is delighted to bring her expertise, joy for working with the youngest learners, and lifelong dedication to student success to a community where every child’s educational journey begins.

Sarah Serenius, Asst. Head of School

Sarah Serenius brings over a decade of leadership and teaching experience in early childhood education to her role as Assistant Head of School at The Country Day School. She is deeply committed to supporting excellent teaching, building strong school communities, and creating environments where young children and educators thrive. Throughout her career, Sarah has focused on strengthening programs, fostering collaboration among teachers, and developing systems that support meaningful learning experiences for students and families.

Most recently, Sarah served as Center Director of Fingerprints Child Development Center at the U.S. Department of the Interior, where she led school operations while maintaining exceptional regulatory and accreditation standards, including multiple successful NAEYC reaccreditations and a perfect state licensing record.

Earlier in her career, Sarah served as Director at Kay School and Director of Programming and Admissions at Playgroup in the Park, where she developed a strong interest in the Reggio Emilia approach. She is especially passionate about Reggio inspired early childhood programs and building thoughtful school cultures that support children, teachers, and families.

Sarah lives in Washington, DC with her husband and their three children. She is excited to be part of the community both as a school leader and as a parent. Outside of school, Sarah enjoys traveling, skiing, and scuba diving, but most weekends she can be found happily driving between her children’s many sports activities. Sarah is also a proud graduate of the University of Florida. Go Gators! 

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