Introducing Keys Faculty and Staff Profile Series!

Introducing Keys Faculty and Staff Profile Series!

Faculty and Staff Profiles will spotlight a faculty or staff member at Keys School, their history, the people they admire, their favorite Keys memory or traditions, and much more! We hope you join us in learning about the hearts of our school and what makes us beat.

Kicking off our series is our Head of School, Heather Rogers!

“My English teacher, Nat, now 88, taught for decades in the Gloucester Public School District, the system I grew up in. She was known to most as Mrs. Daley, and I deeply admire her for her generous spirit. I first met her in 8th grade when my backpack spilled on the way to class. She stopped to help me collect my things—and myself—and that small moment of care calmed me. In high school, when my older brother was my guardian, he didn’t know quite what he got into with a 14-year-old girl, I was fortunate to be in her freshman English class. Nat often invited me over to her home for meals, made sure I had a place to go for holidays, and even offered rides when I needed them. Her support has been constant in my life, and I still speak with her one or two times a week. Nat has been an advocate, a champion, and the reason I became an educator. She taught me that you can, and must, love beyond your own family, making a profound difference in the trajectory of someone’s life.

I grew up as the youngest of three children in an Italian American family in Gloucester, Massachusetts, the country’s oldest fishing village, which instilled my love of the sea. I played Division 1 field hockey at Dartmouth College (Second Photo: Heather is in the back row, jersey number and later coached, taught English in high school, completed a Fulbright in Rome, and held roles in independent schools across the country. I was the athletic director at Marin Academy, the only high school in the country to win a Positive Coaching Alliance Award!

The most important part of my life is my family: my partner Kathy, our two boys Dylan and Alex, and our dog, Greta. I love music; it brings me so much joy. I performed locally in the Bay Area with a band, a folk-rock blues duo named 2rivers. I love finding motivation in creating dynamic, supportive teams, helping both children and adults thrive individually and collectively.

I’ve been at Keys for seven years, and over that time I’ve cherished moments like our 50th Anniversary Founders Day—celebrating the school’s history with fun and excitement—and, of course, graduation. I love hearing faculty speeches honoring every student, seeing all grades present, and culminating with everyone singing “The Circle Game. From my perspective, a Keys student develops a keen intellect, a generous spirit, and the ability to advocate for themselves and others. They think critically, honor curiosity and reflection, and leave school ready to connect, collaborate, learn, and love. I teach at Keys because the school truly “walks its talk.” Here, we know and are known, listen and are heard, and dive in authentically together. I believe wholeheartedly in educating both the mind and the heart, and at Keys, we commit to making that belief a reality.”