Head of School

Frank Sawyer became Mead Hall’s Head of School in 2019. He is married to Ginnelle, and they have two daughters, a 2023 graduate of Mead Hall and another in the Class of 2027. Dr. Sawyer is committed to the mission of Mead Hall to provide students with an education that promotes academic excellence, moral integrity, and spiritual growth. Dr. Sawyer was ordained in the Anglican Church of Canada and has spent most of his ministry in schools. Over the years he has taught scripture, theology, world religions, philosophy, history, and senior project.

Dr. Sawyer first served as a head of school at St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Episcopal School in Severna Park, Maryland, and was the founding head of Sintra International School in Portugal.

Dr. Sawyer studied a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy (1993) and a Master of Divinity (1997) at the University of Toronto. Dr. Sawyer then spent two years as an assistant minister at St. Clement’s Church in Toronto, before moving with his wife to San Francisco, where he served as the chaplain of Cathedral School for Boys. Inspired by his work at Cathedral School for Boys, Dr. Sawyer pursued a Doctor of Ministry at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley. He focused his coursework and research in developmental psychology, faith identity development, gender in education, and multiculturalism in education within the Graduate Theological Union and with the resources of the UC Berkeley School of Education. Dr. Sawyer’s research culminated in his doctoral thesis, The Spiritual Life of Boys in an Episcopal School, in 2004.

As an educator, Dr. Sawyer also served as a chaplain at St. Matthew’s Parish Day School in Pacific Palisades, California, and Episcopal Day School in Augusta, Georgia, as well as a middle and upper school division head at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Academy in Fort Pierce, Florida.

Dr. Sawyer has particularly valued living abroad and engaging with other cultures, spending a year teaching in the Czech Republic during his college years and living with his family in Greece and Portugal where he ministered to expatriate English congregations. His commitment to a global perspective in education led him to pursue the International Baccalaureate teaching certificate through the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto
(2023).

At Mead Hall, Dr. Sawyer has collaborated with the administration and faculty to emphasize lab science and STEM education, strengthen the ELA program including writing across the curriculum in middle school, and add more global studies in all grades to prepare students for success in the 21st Century. He is also committed to maintaining and strengthening the fine arts program in lower school, the daily fine arts in middle school (art, band and drama), and offerings Mead Hall has in upper school. Dr. Sawyer is also focused on the extracurricular opportunities of Mead Hall students, particularly growing the athletics program and is proud of the success of our teams and athletes.

Dr. Sawyer has collaborated with the administration and faculty at Mead Hall to strengthen educational offerings in lab science, ELA including writing across the curriculum, and greater exposure to global studies, thus preparing students for success in the 21st Century. Additionally, Dr. Sawyer is committed to the fine arts, prioritizing visual art, music, and drama across all divisions. Beyond the classroom, Dr. Sawyer is deeply passionate about extracurricular opportunities that foster growth, exploration, and healthy competition. He not only enjoys seeing students passionate in their commitment to team and individual sports, but he is also proud of the success of the athletes and teams and their practice of good sportsmanship in the spirit of the mission of Mead Hall.