About

Head of School

Welcome to Laurel!

I am so excited you are interested in our school and can’t wait to meet you as you navigate the admissions process. As one of the newest members of the Laurel community, I know the best way to get to know Laurel is to come for a visit. Once here, you’ll see that Laurel’s commitment to excellence and attention to the strengths and needs of every child is clear in our full program, ranging from Early Learners through Twelfth Grade. Laurel students, from the youngest to the oldest, love learning, choose kindness, aim high, and show each other grace. Laurel faculty and staff work tirelessly to provide excellent support and instruction but also meet their students where they are, honoring the learning process and making space for creativity and innovation.

Whether it is in the woods of the Butler Campus, on the court at the Lyman Campus, in an Upper School chemistry lab, in the Early Childhood hallways, or at a speech and debate practice, at Laurel, distinctive opportunities foster deep thinking and cross-curricular connections for intentional learning, growth, and community building.

Leaning into the value of place-based and experiential education, we are so proud of the unique academic offerings on the Butler Campus, where girls, and young boys, benefit from an approach to learning that pairs content with an attention to the human connection to the natural world. Learning for students on both campuses will be enhanced with the addition of the Ruhlman Family Center at Butler, scheduled to open in January 2026. This multi-use classroom and environmental science building will foster exploration and collaboration.

Through Laurel’s Center for Research on Girls (LCRG), Laurel has earned its incredible reputation at the forefront of research, leading the conversation about how girls learn best and exemplifying the ways in which an all girls education positions students to meet their growth edge with confidence. The simplicity and power of the Laurel mission, to inspire each girl to fulfill her promise and to better the world, has embedded within it the belief in the potential of every Laurel girl to nurture her passions, to care for her community, and to try new things with the knowledge that she will be supported every step of the way.

Laurel's well-rounded education isn’t complete without the arts and athletics. On the stage, in the art studios and on the field, students develop confidence, learn how to work collaboratively and build leadership skills. Our athletic teams consistently achieve success at the district and state levels. At games and performances, the community comes together to show their Green and White pride while deepening their connection to Laurel and each other.

Once you’re on campus and have the chance to meet members of our community, you’ll see how parent engagement reflects a true investment and partnership in the life of each Laurel student. You’ll hear more about our powerful alumnae network filled with thousands of alums living all over the world who are loyal, passionate, and protective, determined to ensure the long-term success of the school. You’ll learn how building leadership skills starts with our youngest learners and is threaded intentionally through the Laurel experience.

I look forward to seeing you soon,

Christina Breen
Head of School

Christina Breen

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LAUREL'S 11TH HEAD OF SCHOOL

A lifelong educator and leader, Christina Breen has a deep commitment to student-centered learning, character development, and community building. A native of Massachusetts and the daughter of a teacher, Christina grew up in a large family of educators—she and her seven siblings have all chosen careers in education.

Ms. Breen came to Laurel in 2025 from Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. As Associate Dean of Student Life at Exeter, she conducted a campus-wide strategic plan, designed and implemented the Student Leadership Training program, managed aspects of the student conduct system and co-designed and implemented the Advising Curriculum. With a commitment to attending to the needs of all children, she founded Fight Club, a student grief support group, and launched a national campaign for college admission directors, raising awareness about the unique circumstances faced by applicants who have experienced loss.

During her seventeen years at Exeter, Ms. Breen was an English instructor and served in a variety of leadership roles. She served on key campus life committees and chaired the faculty agenda committee, which acts as a liaison between faculty and Exeter’s administration. She coached Exeter’s nationally ranked varsity lacrosse team to ten consecutive winning seasons and founded the Captain’s Council Student Leadership Program. She advocated for greater equity in athletics, spearheaded the We Are All Big Red initiative to foster inclusion in sports, and played a pivotal role in the creation of a Girls Sports Director role at Exeter. Ms. Breen was the recipient of the Daniel E. Koshland, Jr., Distinguished Faculty Award (twice), the Rupert Radford Faculty Fellowship Award, the Graves Family Teaching and Innovation Award and in her final year at Exeter she was awarded the George S. Heyer, Jr. '48 Teaching Fund Award which is awarded to a faculty member of outstanding caliber in recognition of the highest intellectual merit, devoted service, and lengthy tenure.

Ms. Breen received her undergraduate degree in English from Tufts University, where she also played varsity lacrosse, held several records on the women’s lacrosse team, and could be found performing on the mainstage during the off-season. Prior to Exeter, she was a lecturer in English at the University of Vermont, an instructor in English at St. Mark’s School where she was recently inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame, and the founder and administrator of Heronfield Academy, where she led the buildings and grounds, development and pedagogy committees, designed curriculum, served as director of admissions, chaired the accreditation process, helped to guide two strategic planning processes, and then became a trustee. She holds three master’s degrees, from the Universities of Vermont and New Hampshire, respectively, and most recently one in independent school leadership as a Klingenstein Scholar at Columbia University.