Head of School Brent Bell announced today that ELA-8 Dean of Students Jennifer (Brewster) Helbing ('98) has been named lower school director at Saint Stephen's Episcopal School in Bradenton, Fla., beginning in 2015-16.
"Please join me in congratulating Jennifer," Bell said. "This is a tremendous opportunity for her as Saint Stephen's is one of Florida's finest independent schools. I know that she will thrive in this role."
Helbing, who has a decade of experience in elementary education, holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from University of Georgia and a Master of Education from Georgia State University.
Before she was hired by Darlington in 2007, Helbing worked with special needs students in the Cobb County school system. At Darlington, she has taught pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and second grade, and served as Middle School learning specialist and dean the Lower School before being named dean of students for ELA-8 in 2013.
"Having been a student and then a faculty member at Darlington, this community has been a second family to me and the school a second home," said Helbing. "I attribute much of who I am to Darlington."
From the time she was born, Helbing has been entrenched in the Darlington Community. She is the daughter of Bill ('66) and longtime faculty member Charla Brewster, and the niece of the late Anne Somerville.
"It has been an amazing eight years," Helbing said. "I have had the opportunity to work alongside such legends as Jim Van Es and my mom, Charla Brewster; garner wisdom from Master Teachers Janice Cox and Anne Somerville as they exuded His love and patience with each and every child; and learn the power of integrity and respect in leadership from David Rhodes and James Milford. I have been truly blessed through my experiences with this community and I will miss the students, the families, and the faculty dearly.
"As I move into the next stage of my life, I look forward to building relationships, supporting faculty in their quest for growth, and helping students identify their passions in order to serve and make the world a better place," she continued. "However, no matter where I go, I will always bleed purple and white."
Helbing and her husband, Brad, are the parents of Maddox, a pre-kindergarten student at Darlington, and Amelia, 16 months.
