MANSFIELD — The new school year will bring new changes at Discovery School in Mansfield.

Current head of school, Amy Oswalt, has announced her departure after six years and taken a new opportunity with a school in the greater Washington, D.C. area.

Taking the helm at Discovery is Julie Schwartz. And for the first time in school history, there will be an assistant head of school. Simon Clark will fill this position.

Schwartz previously worked as an assistant principal and biology teacher with Ashland City Schools. Most recently, she has served as the director of education/youth program coordinator at the Ohio Bird Sanctuary in Mansfield.

She received a bachelor of arts in education and a bachelor of science in biology from the University of Toledo, as well as a master’s in educational leadership from The Ohio State University. She is a certified naturalist, Project WILD teacher, certified Basic Archery in Schools (BASP) instructor and recent graduate of the Osborne Meese Academy.

She resides in Mansfield with her husband Brad and their two children, who attend Discovery School.

Under Oswalt’s leadership, Discovery School was authorized as the area’s only International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme.

Schwartz is looking forward to being at an IB school and promoting IB principles, especially inquiry-based learning.

“For kids to be able to learn through exploration and to really be pushed to take risks and investigate things for themselves, that’s sort of the tenet that Discovery was founded under and why I’ve chosen for years to send my own two children there,” she said.

She plans to incorporate her experience as a naturalist and outdoor educator into her new position by inviting Discovery School families to participate in weekend hikes.

“We have the benefit of being the little school in the woods with a lot of outdoor learning opportunities, so one of the things I plan to do is implement hikes with the head of school,” she said.

As a certified archery instructor, she also hopes to start a school archery team.

“I really believe our job as elementary educators is to light that fire within a kid — a love of learning, to have them want to know more,” she said. “To have them learn at a young age that learning is powerful and fun and opens doors and exposes you to things.”

Both she and Clark will officially join the school in August.

Schwartz said she’s looking forward to working together with Clark.

“I have always worked as part of a leadership team, and I think it’s really powerful to have two people whose strengths complement each other so well,” she said.

“(Clark) brings that wealth of IB experience, which will only complement my leadership skills.”

Clark will serve as both the assistant head of school and IB coordinator of the Primary Years Programme.

He has worked in a variety of public and private schools, teaching grades kindergarten through middle school, around the world including in Mexico, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. His most recent experience is as the assistant head of school/PYP coordinator and Middle Years Programme teacher at Shu Ren International School in Berkeley, California.

He received his bachelor of arts in theology and his qualified teacher status from the University of York St. John, United Kingdom.

He has extensive knowledge of the International Baccalaureate and is a talented workshop leader and site visitor for the IB.

“One of the things that I’m looking forward to most is the collaboration with the teachers and the community members there because the IB places a lot of value on collaboration and working together,” he said.

Clark considers himself a “life-long learner.”

“I want to continue to grow and develop myself as an educator, and I think Discovery School will be a great place to do that,” he said.

He’s excited about the move to Ohio and the change it will bring.

“I think it’s going to be a wonderful breath of fresh air,” he said.