S A L T U S M A G A Z I N E
2 9
W
inter Term was a whirlwind for Claire
Charlemagne. Expecting her second
child, the Deputy Head resolved to work up to
the due date and, with uncanny timing, went
on leave the day before son Logan was born
on September 20. Less than a week later, she
was back at School to meet with Board Chairman
Gil Tucker, who briefed the Senior Management
Team about selecting a replacement for Head-
master Ted Staunton whose retirement had
been announced. She put together her appli-
cation for the top job, underwent a rigorous
interview against two overseas candidates,
and spent the term working from home. On
December 4, the School announced she had
been chosen as the next Head of School.
"So I didn't really have a maternity leave,"
she laughs. "But I love my job and I wouldn't
do it if I didn't. As long as my children are
happy, well cared for and well-adjusted, then
I don't think it really matters. The good part
was that coming back in January didn't feel
like being out of the loop."
Life in the Charlemagne household is
typically full of such no-holds-barred logistics.
Claire's husband Peter Charlemagne is a
senior Police officer, and the couple nimbly
balances their challenging dual careers with
a busy personal life and young children's
demands (their daughter Arianne, three, starts
Foundation Year as her mother takes over the
reins of the School this fall).
"Claire works hard--from the time she gets
up in the morning until she comes home at
night...and then she's back on her computer
working again!" says Peter, who came to
Bermuda from St. Lucia in 2003 and met Claire two
years later. The couple married in 2007. As Inspector in
charge of the Forensics Support Unit, Peter describes
his own job as "pretty intense--it's almost 24 hours.
We deal with most of the forensic aspects of all the
investigations on the Island, be it burglaries, or serious
crimes such as murders and firearm incidents."
Both ambitious and supportive of each other's
careers, Peter says the family is excited about Claire's
new role. "We've always been competitive, encouraging
each other to move forward. Both of us pursued our
Master's degrees and we've both progressed in our
jobs since we met each other. So it's a wonderful thing."
Kent-born Claire, herself the daughter of a
headmaster, said she thought long and hard about
applying for the post. "Wanting something and being
able to do it are sometimes two very different things,"
she admits. "But in the end, I think it's the culmination
of 11 years' experience at Saltus and I couldn't think of
a better school to work in. In lots of ways it really is a
dream come true--it's a fantastic opportunity."
--Rosemary Jones
`Claire's
commitment,
vision and
determination
were
impressive.
Her under-
standing of
our students
and her drive
to see each
and every
student
succeed to
the best of
his or her
abilities was
reassuring.
Claire fully
appreciates
that there
continues
to be a
tremendous
amount of
work to do at
Saltus and
she is more
than ready'
--Kelly Francis
Trustee
FAST-PACED FAMILY BALANCES ROLES
Claire Charlemagne at home with her husband Peter and their
children Logan, seven months, and daughter Arianne, three