Lakeside School

Dear Lakeside School students and families, 

As you have likely read, Kai Bynum let us know this winter that he was stepping down as head of school to prioritize his health. Later this month, Dr. Bynum will return to campus to participate in the Grand Opening Celebration of the T.J. Vassar ’68 Center for the Sciences and Humanities — a major accomplishment of his tenure at Lakeside School. 

On Friday, April 24, we will host a very special Spring Tailgate, with Dr. Bynum as our special guest. This is an opportunity for students and families to personally connect with Dr. Bynum and say farewell, and for the community at large to express our gratitude and appreciation for his many contributions to our school. 

Additionally, we have created a Kudoboard for Lakesiders to contribute messages of gratitude, photos, videos, GIFs — any way you would like to thank Dr. Bynum or share a memory. Contribute your thoughts to Kai’s Kudoboard here. You do not need to create an account to post a message. Click “skip email” and add your message as a guest. Just be sure to add your name and your connection to Lakeside to your post. You can also edit the lower right corner of your post by clicking on it to add your name. If you have questions, please email info@lakesideschool.site. 

In his four years as head of school, Dr. Kai Bynum had an outsize impact on Lakeside School. Dr. Bynum led Lakeside through our first comprehensive strategic planning process in 20 years, uniting the school’s work in educational excellence; community experience, engagement, and impact; and infrastructure, operations, and capacity. He led the process by which the school reaffirmed Lakeside’s mission and values; recommitted to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging; and adopted a vision that has inspired us all with a sense of purpose, possibility, and hope. Hope in Action: An Empowering Strategic Plan for Lakeside School, will continue to guide us into the future.

As part of the strategic plan, and under his leadership, Lakeside has expanded programming that supports student and family health and wellbeing; responded to the world-altering advent of generative AI; modernized its approach to campus safety; and made major advancements in educational excellence, including the construction of the Vassar Center — the first new academic building at Lakeside Upper School in 40 years. 

We hope that we will see your family at the event on April 24.