Meet Beverley von Zielonka

St. Margaret’s School’s longstanding commitment to inspiring and empowering girls to thrive—fearlessly, creatively, and with curiosity and grace—in education and life prompted Dr. Beverley von Zielonka to join our School as the Principal of Academics and Deputy Head of School (interim).

Her professional background, philosophy, and practice align well with St. Margaret’s School. She has a longstanding commitment to placing "all learners" at the forefront and creating relevant, rigorous, and relationship-rich opportunities to optimize girls' and young women’s growth, pursuit of excellence in all endeavors, and development as empowered global citizens eager to find membership as learners, leaders, and people of character and service in today’s complex, interdependent world.

With five years of doctoral dissertation research conducted at a prominent K-12 independent girls' school and over three decades of leadership experience, she has established dynamic, high-achieving day and boarding schools, girl-centric, co-educational, and globally focused academic institutions in British Columbia and Ontario, South Korea, the United States, and Germany. Beverley is eager to bring her experience and insights to further position St. Margaret’s as a leader in girls’ education, fostering empowered women equipped with the skills and dispositions needed for successful 21st-century global citizenship.

Dr. von Zielonka led the consideration and implementation of International Baccalaureate programs in three schools now recognized as full IB Continuum World Schools. One of these schools recently received the International School of the Year Award in 2021, and another was cited for Excellence with Distinction in Student Growth by the U.S. Department of Education. As a school administrator and adjunct professor, Beverley continues to forge collaborative school-university partnerships and programs with the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, and renowned STEM-focused national Korean universities.

Dr. von Zielonka received her Doctorate of Education in Administration, Training, and Policy Studies from Boston University after completing her undergraduate studies at Harvard, Oxford Brookes, and Simon Fraser Universities. As a learner, educator, administrator, team leader, and professional development leader, she believes that “children grow into the life that surrounds them.” This belief informs her work in schools, universities, and communities, where she strives to inspire and achieve maximum academic, artistic, athletic, social, and emotional learning results and personal fulfillment for the young girls and women we serve.

Beverley affirms two key principles for achievement: keep our students—our young girls and women—and their learning as our top priority, and build on the power of relationships.

She is known for developing institutional vision, mission, and strategic plans to enhance schools' positions on the global stage. She maintains a commitment to lifelong learning, consistently reaching out to knowledge bases and pursuing educational excellence. Most recently, she earned an international yoga teacher certification (200-hour Yoga Teacher Training in Koh Samui, Thailand) and is learning new skills as a novice sommelier student.