Building Community with Students: Mr. Christopher Howes as the New Dean of Community Life
Lisa Pang ’27
Staff Writer

“Wellbeing is the idea of seeing yourself as part of something larger, and that [the] larger and the individual taking care of each other back and forth,” said Mr. Christopher Howes, the new Loomis Chaffee Dean of Community Life.

A true believer in the power of community building, Mr. Howes brings his 25 years of experience in the field of education to the Island. Before coming to Loomis, he served as the Assistant Head of School for Student Life and Culture at Mercersburg Academy and, before that, the Director of Community Wellbeing at Tabor Academy. Recently, he participated in the Independent Schools Wellness Summit this February, where he played a critical role in facilitating discussions on adolescent mental health.

As Mr. Howes transitioned to Loomis, he was deeply moved by the warmth of the community. “At a new place, sometimes it’s harder to break in, but Loomis has been really kind and welcoming to me and my family,” he said.

More crucially, he was drawn to the school’s commitment to inspiring the best self and the common good in its students. “Loomis’s mission is very aligned with my educational philosophy,” he said.

The role of the Dean of Community Life position underwent several iterations. “At one point, it was the person who was in charge of our COVID protocols,” said the Dean of Students Michael Donegan. “Now, it has evolved into a position to look at community and belonging and other things that really make our school as special as it is,” says Dean Dongean.

As the concept of wellness continues to develop within the educational sphere every year, the description of the position of Dean of Community Life was created to respond to the constant challenges of student mental and physical “wellness” at school. Hence, Mr. Howes was brought in for his vision and faith in the development of such endeavors.

“Wellbeing starts with an individual, whether it be faculty or students, having the ability and time to have a sense of who they are and have that space to work on themselves, but also having a sense of connection to the community they’re a part of,” he said. “Individual well-being is deeply connected to the well-being of the community. We have a responsibility as community members to take care of those whom we are in community with.”

As such, Mr. Howes emphasizes the significance of a healthy campus environment lies in a joint responsibility between the best self and the common good.
Such a goal is only achieved through the meticulous collaboration of all branches at Loomis, as Mr. Howes strategizes to work closely with the different constituents of the student experience, such as the Student Life Office, the Health Center, the Counseling Office, as well as the International Student Office.

“My role is helping and supporting our adults on campus, the faculty and staff who work directly with students, to make sure that we’re aligned, that we are using a shared language, and that we philosophically are approaching students in the same way,” he says.

More remarkably, such collaboration welcomes student inputs as invaluable assets of community growth. For example, the Student Advisory Group to the Head of School is one concrete step to encourage students to offer counsel and perspective on their campus experiences.

“Instead of doing things to students or for students, we do it with students,” he said. “So much of the work we want to do, particularly this year, is spending a lot of time listening and connecting with people and collaborating, not implementing.”

As Mr. Howes looks ahead to his years on the Island, his goal is ambitious. “My hope is that I can help facilitate the sense of belonging and feel as though this is a place they have a strong connection in and where they derive purpose and meaning from,” he said.

Indeed, such connection is an integral part of the Loomis experience; As Dean Donegan put it, “It is easy to make a new dress code policy … but how we treat each other is harder to measure, but it’s those little things that count. And someday, if this [position] evolves into a wellness center or [of] wellness focus … that would be wonderful.”

Like Dean Dongean, Mr. Howes looks forward to evolving with the community and contributing to the larger Loomis mission. As he looked out from his office window at the beautiful campus, the extensiveness of which surprised him when he first arrived, he felt sheer joy in being present.

“I’m just really excited to be here. I’m really excited to continue to learn and grow,” he said.