Krista Sahrbeck will assume her new role as dean at the West Hartford school in July 2020.

Submitted by Jackie Pisani, Kingswood Oxford School

Krista Sahrbeck has been named the new dean of students at Kingswood Oxford School, effective this July.

Sahrbeck brings a diverse array of both teaching and administrative experience in schools. A highly collaborative leader, she is passionate about the challenges and opportunities that are part of the high school experience and how faculty and wellness teams on campus can effectively support young adults.

Sahrbeck comes to KO from Kent Denver School in Englewood, CO, where she served as class dean  where she facilitated the academic, athletic, and social-emotional development of a specific graduating class for the duration of their time in the upper school. While class dean, she served as an advocate and liaison for students and their families, including managing healthy student development and implementing student support plans.

Prior to that position, Sahrbeck served as an admissions associate, career internship coordinator, and upper school diversity liaison. In addition to her many responsibilities, Sahrbeck was Kent Denver’s head girls’ varsity coach and assistant boys’ varsity coach. She was named Metropolitan League Coach of the Year (for all sports) in 2013, 2014, and 2020 and Metropolitan League Women’s Soccer Coach of the Year in 2014, 2016, and 2019. She is being inducted into the Metropolitan League Hall of Fame.

Head of the Upper  School Dan Gleason said, “Sahrbeck is a wonderful addition to our senior administrative team. She’s bright, upbeat, energetic and she will make a difference for our students. She is a terrific role model and athlete who can bond easily with students due to her positivity and her great listening skills. She understands the importance of cultivating relationships with students and their families, recognizing that family life is an integral component to who each student is as an individual.”

At KO, Sahrbeck will help continue to foster the development of students, address the expectations of the parents, promote and cultivate the vision of the school and the concerns of the faculty. In the role of Dean of Students, Sahrbeck will provide a safe, understanding, and thoughtful haven for students while holding them accountable with high expectations in their behavior and social-emotional growth.

Sahrbeck said in her education statement, “Early on in my career, I realized that I have a vested interest in preparing the next generation of young adults for the world ahead of them: to enable them to have the confidence, ingenuity, and creativity to look at a problem and feel comfortable solving it. Whether it was through independent thought, collaboration, or asking for help, my goal has always been to equip my students to handle whatever life threw at them.”

Sahrbeck holds an MEd in educational administration and leadership from Boston College: Lynch School of Education. She attended Bowdoin College as an undergraduate where she majored in government and legal studies, environmental studies, and was a standout performer on the women’s varsity soccer team.

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