Leigh O’Donoghue
Leigh O’Donoghue
Assistant Dean of Grammar School (K4–1st Grade)
BS, Appalachian State University
My love for The Geneva School and its mission started in 2001. Our oldest daughter was headed to kindergarten the following year, and I was on a quest to find the ideal school. I visited countless local schools before spending a morning in a TGS kindergarten classroom. I was hooked. My journey began as a volunteer in my daughter’s classroom. Then, when our youngest was in first grade, I wanted to be part of all that was happening. I became a kindergarten aide, which quickly led to taking the education classes needed to become a teacher. After eight years in kindergarten, I began teaching first graders and stayed with the first grade team until my retirement in 2017. My retirement was unsuccessful as I still could not stay away! In 2024, I returned to The Geneva School, first as a long-term substitute in a first grade classroom and then as a teacher mentor. In my current role as assistant dean of grammar school (K4–1st grade), it is a joy to work with teachers, students, and families as we share the goal of inspiring students to love beauty, think deeply, and pursue Christ’s calling.
When someone asks me to tell them about The Geneva School, it can be hard to find words that come close to painting a true picture. I share stories about the dedication of the teachers and staff—how they see, love, and honor each child as an image bearer of our heavenly Father. I talk about the pedagogy built around the understanding that these are crucially formative years in the life of a child, that education is far more than filling a young mind with knowledge. I try to communicate that our curriculum invites children to lose themselves in the stories of history, Bible, science, and classic literature. Children learn best when they see, hear, touch, and delight in what they are learning. In the end, I tell anyone who asks that they must come and see. There is beauty around every corner, and I am thankful to witness and be a part of all the Lord is doing in this remarkable place.
