Introducing Upper School’s Assistant Principal
Upper School’s new assistant principal sure is taking the long way around to get to Principia! A flight to St. Louis from South Africa, where Peter Dry was born and grew up, would have been long enough, but his arrival this month will have been via England, Japan, Norway, and Australia, among other places. Fortunately for Principia, Dry’s nearly two-decade journey has encompassed a varied and effective career in education, equipping him with enriching experience, perspectives, and ideas.
Since obtaining his bachelor’s degree and a diploma in education from the University of Natal, South Africa, Dry has forged an international career in middle and high school education spanning three continents. He has served as a teacher, coach, house parent, and administrator at schools in South Africa, as well as at the Claremont-Fancourt School in Surrey, England, and Huntingtower School in Melbourne, Australia.
While earning his master’s in educational management from the University of Southern Queensland, Australia, Dry helped establish and lead an international middle school in Sandefjord, Norway. Prior to that, he worked at an international school in Tokyo, Japan, and as a coach at several schools in South Africa.
Dry co-founded the Simunye Project, which facilitates community service by Australian high schoolers and raises funds for volunteers to work on education and nutrition projects in his native South Africa. Most recently, he has served as the manager of professional and organizational learning for BMW Finance, Australia, implementing employee leadership and professional development initiatives.
According to incoming School Principal Travis Brantingham, Dry’s “experience as an educational leader will allow us to build strong interdisciplinary programs and further develop our experiential education curriculum.” The School looks forward to welcoming Peter and his wife, Samantha, and their three children to St. Louis.