Principal Hope Black

It is my pleasure to welcome you to The Museum School of Avondale Estates, a place where curiosity, creativity, and community come together to inspire lifelong learning. As Principal, I am honored to lead a school that is deeply committed to academic excellence, inclusivity, collaboration, and student-centered learning.

At The Museum School, our mission is to inspire and engage students through an innovative museum-based learning model. We believe in fostering critical thinking, hands-on exploration, and real-world connections that make learning meaningful and impactful. Every day, our students are encouraged to ask questions, seek answers, and make discoveries that extend beyond the classroom walls.

Our Core Values—Respect, Integrity, Sustainability, Responsibility, Cooperation, Creativity, and Excellence—guide everything we do. These values shape our culture, our teaching, and the way we support each student’s unique journey. We strive to create an inclusive and welcoming environment where all students, families, and community members feel valued, respected, and empowered.

As a school, we are stronger because of our partnerships—with families, educators, and the broader community. We believe that education is a collaborative effort, and together, we can provide our students with the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to thrive in a diverse and ever-changing world.

Thank you for being part of our community. We are excited to learn and grow together!

– Hope Black
Principal

 

Principal Katherine Kelbaugh

As Executive Director of the only museum school in Georgia, I have the privilege of watching our students explore, learn and thrive every day in a very special environment.

Ours is a different approach to learning, based on research that shows children learn best through exploration and personal experience. By partnering with museums and other institutions, The Museum School gives its students real-life experience with classroom lessons and allows them to make discoveries driven by their curiosity.

The school’s differentiated curriculum meets children at their individual levels of skill and readiness, allowing each one to succeed. In every subject category, ours are among the top performing students in Georgia, and we are so proud of how our students have grown academically and what they have accomplished.

But The Museum School’s focus stretches far beyond test scores. Our education model instills confidence and promotes a love of learning, and these are the building blocks of achievement and personal success.

At its heart, ours is a community school. Built by a grass-roots effort, it has, from its inception, enjoyed the overwhelming support of residents and organizations within and outside of its attendance zone. The countless hours and much-needed funds donated by those people and entities made this school a reality, and we are grateful beyond words.

We invite you to visit our campus and see first-hand the learning, exploration, and growth happening in each of our classrooms every day. Thank you for your support of The Museum School.

– Katherine Kelbaugh, Ph.D.
Executive Director