Sage Hill Alumni
New Director of Middle School Brings Recipe for Student Success
Imagine you’re baking a batch of biscuits. You start by mixing the foundational ingredients—flour, sugar, baking soda, salt. Then comes an inflection point that Joseph Moody, Ph.D., compares to middle school.
“It’s the time when you’re adding your liquid ingredients, and that’s when the batter starts to get a little sticky,” says Dr. Moody, Sage Hill’s inaugural Director of Middle School. “It’s the time when you get to add the special ingredients that kids bring to the table. It could be a love for drawing, or painting, or playing a musical instrument or a sport. Kids have all these special ingredients inside of them, and middle school is the time we pull those out.”
“It’s the time when you’re adding your liquid ingredients, and that’s when the batter starts to get a little sticky,” says Dr. Moody, Sage Hill’s inaugural Director of Middle School. “It’s the time when you get to add the special ingredients that kids bring to the table. It could be a love for drawing, or painting, or playing a musical instrument or a sport. Kids have all these special ingredients inside of them, and middle school is the time we pull those out.”
Dr. Moody, a Georgia native, borrowed the biscuit analogy from his mother, also an educator. He was previously the Head of Middle School at The Lovett School in Atlanta, and he wasn’t looking for a new job. But when a headhunter reached out about the position at Sage Hill, he was intrigued.
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to actually build something from scratch and use the best of what I have learned over the years about middle school to make it one of the best places for students,” he said. Now he’s hard at work assembling the ingredients for Sage Hill’s brand new batch of 7th and 8th graders.
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to actually build something from scratch and use the best of what I have learned over the years about middle school to make it one of the best places for students,” he said. Now he’s hard at work assembling the ingredients for Sage Hill’s brand new batch of 7th and 8th graders.
“We could immediately sense that Dr. Moody understands Sage Hill’s mission and values,” said Head of School Patricia Merz. “As both a teacher and an administrator, he has demonstrated his remarkable talent for working with students at this critical stage of social-emotional development.” In addition to Dr. Moody’s impeccable credentials that include 30 years as an educator, the administration was impressed with his warmth and enthusiasm. “We are confident that when we open grades 7 and 8, the students will absolutely love Dr. Moody,” Merz said.
A former college football player, Dr. Moody decided to become a teacher at the encouragement of his advisor—a former college athlete himself. He initially taught high school science. In 2010, when Lovett was hiring a middle school science teacher and coach for football, wrestling, and track, “I jumped on it,” Dr. Moody said. Eventually, he moved into leadership roles, from Dean of Student Life, to Assistant Head of Middle School for Student Life, to Head of Middle School. He also earned his master’s in counseling and Ph.D. in clinical psychology along the way. Dr. Moody clearly understands and delights in an age group that many adults find, well, intimidating.
“Middle school is where I will remain until I can’t teach anymore,” he said.
“Middle school is where I will remain until I can’t teach anymore,” he said.
Dr. Moody relocated to Orange County in July along with his wife, Carlyne, who grew up in Anaheim. Since then, he has been immersing himself in Sage Hill’s culture, developing curriculum, and identifying the special ingredients for 7th and 8th grades at Sage Hill.
“I've learned over the years that when you separate middle and high school, they become silos,” Dr. Moody said. “We don't need to be a silo. We just need to be one flowing group, making sure that the high school kids are embracing these middle school kids and we are becoming one unit, one family. When you build a community, wonderful things can happen.”
“I've learned over the years that when you separate middle and high school, they become silos,” Dr. Moody said. “We don't need to be a silo. We just need to be one flowing group, making sure that the high school kids are embracing these middle school kids and we are becoming one unit, one family. When you build a community, wonderful things can happen.”
When baking biscuits, Dr. Moody uses self-rising flour. “It has to trigger something inside in order to grow, to start developing. You're not adding yeast, you're using what's inside already,” he said. “That's what our core values will allow us to do as well with these students.”
By bringing out the best in each middle school student, Dr. Moody aims to develop them into innovative leaders and lifelong learners. “That’s how you’re going to change the world,” he said.
By bringing out the best in each middle school student, Dr. Moody aims to develop them into innovative leaders and lifelong learners. “That’s how you’re going to change the world,” he said.
Sage Hill School
Sage Hill School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs, and athletic and other School administered programs.