UpdatesINTERIM HEAD OF SCHOOL ANNOUNCED
5/7/2019 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The Board and I are happy to announce The Rev. Dr. Michael Kuhn has been named Interim Head of School for the 2019-2020 Academic Year. After initial candidates were considered, the Board invited Fr. Michael to further explore this possibility. After meeting one-on-one with Fr. Michael, the support from the Board was overwhelmingly unanimous and he has accepted the position. Fr. Michael will officially join the St. James Episcopal Day School family on June 1, 2019. In order to help prepare for the transition, he will join us this Friday, May 10th, at our regularly scheduled school Eucharist at 8:15am. Immediately following the service, parents are invited to the Parlor for coffee and an opportunity to meet Fr. Michael. Following this introductory meeting, Fr. Michael has requested a tour of the school with an opportunity to begin meeting the students, faculty, and staff. Fr. Michael comes to us with more than three-decades of experience in Episcopal school education. Shortly after being ordained, he served as a Canon and school chaplain at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. After a short tenure as a Rector in Boston, Fr. Michael received the call to serve at Trinity Episcopal School in New Orleans. After seven years of serving as chaplain, he was selected by Trinity’s search committee to serve as the next Head of School, a post Michael held for thirteen years. During a very successful tenure as Head of School at Trinity in New Orleans, Fr. Michael opened an early childhood program similar to the one at St. James, provided strong leadership during the community’s recovery following Hurricane Katrina, oversaw a multi-million dollar capital campaign to expand Trinity’s Preschool, increased salaries and benefits of faculty to ensure Trinity remained competitive, and lead the school through a ten-year accreditation process resulting in high praises from the accreditation team. Since finishing his tenure at Trinity, Fr. Michael returned to the classroom to serve as Assistant Head of School and Chaplain to the Lower and Middle Schools of St. Martin’s Episcopal School in Metairie, LA. Fr. Michael has lived in many places, being raised in Nashville, a graduate of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee and a graduate of The General Theological Seminary in New York City. Father Michael has been ordained 37 years; about 32 of those years have been in Episcopal schools We are excited to welcome Fr. Michael to St. James as he seeks to use his wealth of knowledge and experience to guide us through this next year. Easter Blessings, Fr. Chris, Rector SEARCH PROCESS UNDERWAY
5/8/2019 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. As was announced yesterday morning, we have hired an Interim Head of School for the upcoming 2019-20 academic year. The Rev. Dr. Michael Kuhn will act as Interim Head and will remain with us through June 2020. Please join with your Board of Trustees and me in welcoming Fr. Michael into our St. James community. Fr. Michael will be with us on the morning of Friday, May 10th to further introduce himself to the students, parents, faculty, and staff. I am excited to share more good news with you today. We have officially begun the search for St. James Episcopal Day School’s next permanent Head of School. This search process would not be possible without the commitment of our Board, who will identify and appoint a Search Committee, which will centrally contribute to the hiring our next leader. To assist the Search Committee, we have retained The Education Group (TEG), a national private and independent school search and placement firm. Both our school and TEG are supporters and members of the Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools (our accrediting agency). Several of TEG’s consultants are former Heads of Episcopal schools. The consultants for our Head of School search are Dave Davies and Allison Lorimer. I encourage you all to learn more about our consulting team at www.educationgroup.com. As we begin this process, we will be reaching out to the greater St. James community. We will have opportunities for input and dialogue from parents, trustees, faculty, and staff. We will continue to post updates during the search process through regular announcements and on the school’s website. This is an exciting, prayerful, and important time in the history of our school. St. James is a special place where children are nurtured in a kind and loving environment while also being challenged with academic excellence. We expect that this search will attract talented candidates who will uphold our school’s mission and successfully lead us into our future. Following a thorough and deliberate search process, the Search Committee will announce our candidate for the next permanent Head of School. Over the past year, many of you have heard me say, St. James is the people: students, parents, faculty, staff, and the entire church community. As we turn our attention to the future, I am excited to see how we will continue to build upon the incredible legacy that is St. James. Thank you for all that you do to help make this place so special. Easter Blessings, Fr. Chris HEAD OF SCHOOL UPDATE
6/7/2019 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Although summer vacation is upon us, the search for our next Head of School continues forward with haste. During the final days of the academic year, our consultants from The Education Group (TEG), Dave Davies and Allison Lorimer, spent two days on campus getting to know St. James through the students, faculty, staff, and parents on campus. During that time, they also began deeper conversations with the Board of Trustees, teachers, and administrators about what we are looking for in our next Head of School. Today, I am writing to solicit your input and outline the search process. In the next step in the search process, it is paramount that we continue to identify the key characteristics and qualities we are seeking. Below you will find a link to an anonymous survey being administered by TEG. This seven-question survey is designed to gather meaningful comments on St. James’s strengths and opportunities as related to the search. We ask that you complete the survey by Friday, June 21, 2019. To assist in this process, I asked the Board to appoint a Search Committee based on the recommendations of our consultants with TEG. The members of the Search Committee are Denise Allen, Nicole Brien, Fr. Ralph Howe, Bahin Leonard, Emily Wray Lamont, Erik Piazza, Mike Rabalais, Nancy Roberts, and Leslie Spencer. Fr. Michael Kuhn and Donna Lamonte will also give support and input from behind the scenes. In looking ahead, our consultants will assist the Search Committee in developing a detailed profile after the SJEDS community’s input is received from the survey. Then TEG will work to identify and compile a list of candidates who would best fit St. James’ search criteria. The Committee will review these candidate files, interview the most viable candidates, and identify finalists who will visit our campus. After considering input from all constituents who meet with the finalists, the Search Committee will join me in recommending a candidate for appointment. The expected start date of the new Head of School is July 1, 2020. As you can imagine, much of the work of the Search Committee must remain confidential until the finalist phase, and so we encourage you to remain patient as we work through this process. Please discourage undue speculation or the spread of inaccurate information. If you have questions or concerns, please bring them to me directly. With that said, the Search Committee and I will continue to give periodic updates as we are able. To learn more about the search and the process we encourage you to click trough the Head of School Search webpage. As I shared in a previous email, this is an exciting, prayerful, and important time in the history of our school. St. James is a special place where children are nurtured in a kind and loving environment while also being challenged with academic excellence. We continue to ask your prayers for our school, the students, and the whole SJEDS community. Blessings, Fr. Chris head of school survey update and profile
7/7/2019 Thanks to the nearly 100 members of the St. James community who responded to the survey related to the Head of School search. Our consultants, Allison Lorimer and Dave Davies, felt that the participation was strong, especially during the summer months. The survey results will inform the Search Committee’s work and will be helpful both to our Interim Head, Fr. Michael Kuhn, and our eventual Head of School. The results also helped develop the Head of School Position Profile: HERE. This document becomes an important tool in building the candidate pool, a task that is well underway. The search is confidential at this point in order to ensure a strong candidate pool. Only the consultants and search committee will know the candidates until the finalist stage in late fall or early winter. At that point, the community will have a chance to meet finalists. One of the items on the recent survey asked for potential candidates, and we were pleased to receive several great suggestions. Dave and Allison will reach out to them to invite them into this process. If you have any additional suggestions of possible candidates, then please share the position profile with them or contact Dave or Allison (Dave@educationgroup.com or Allison@educationgroup.com). Thank you for your patience and prayers as we work to find our next leader of St. James Episcopal Day School. Mike Rabalais, Search Committee Chair HEAD OF SCHOOL UPDATE
9/1/2019 After a very successful start of the new school year, the Search Committee is now writing to give a quick update on where things stand with regard to the search for our next Head of School. Before we go any further, we do want to share our deepest appreciation for Fr. Michael’s leadership and ministry thus far in our interim year as well as to Donna for all that she does to build up St. James Episcopal Day School. As shared in previous updates, the summer was a time when things went relatively quiet for the Search Committee. However, our consultants, Allison and Dave with the Education Group, have been busy sharing the job posting, collecting applications, and checking references of potential Head of School candidates. They are now in the process of the final push for candidates and hope to present an initial list to the Search Committee in mid-September for further consideration. The Search Committee will then cull the list down to a set of semi-finalists to interview. As you can imagine, the work of the Search Committee will ramp up at that time as we seek to find the best possible candidate to lead our great school. With the deadline fast approaching, if you know of any potential candidates for the Head of School position, then those individuals need to contact our consultants with the Education Group as soon as possible (Dave@educationgroup.com or Allison@educationgroup.com). Finally, as a reminder, it is critical that much of the work of the Search Committee remain confidential for the sake of the process and for the privacy of our candidates at this early stage. Your Search Committee is eager to begin this next phase and look forward to keeping the SJEDS community informed as we are able. Thank you for your prayers and support. Mike Rabalais, Search Committee Chair HEAD of school candidates on campus
10/7/2019 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Since June, the Head of School Search Committee has worked to create a position profile, review candidates, interview semi-finalists, and select finalists to come to St. James for an onsite visit. We are happy to report that our search consultants from the Education Group cultivated an extremely talented set of candidates. As the search continues to edge forward, the Search Committee and church leadership would like to share our appreciation with Fr. Michael for his leadership in this season of transition. I would also like to thank the Search Committee for their prayerful and discerning approach to this process. On behalf of the Search Committee, I am happy to report that the group’s top three candidates have agreed to move forward with the process and will visit St. James Episcopal Day School in person later this month. We will not release candidate names until their visit, so as to allow them time to make necessary arrangements. During these visits, there will be two opportunities for parents to meet each candidate. After each candidates’ visit, there will also be an opportunity to share feedback with the Search Committee. Candidate Visit Dates & Parent Gathering Opportunities (Parish Hall): Candidate 1: Sunday, October 20-Tuesday, October 22
The candidates are excited to visit with us here at St. James and look forward to meeting the various constituents: students, parents, teachers, and administrators. As we enter the final stage of selecting our new Head of School, the Search Committee asks for your continued help to maintain the integrity of this process by refraining from gossip or hearsay. Please feel free to contact Mike Rabalais (Search Committee Chair) or me if you have any questions about the process. Thank you for your prayers and for everything you do to help make St. James so special. Blessings, Fr. Chris HEAD OF SCHOOL announced
11/6/2019 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. St. James Episcopal Church and Day School is pleased to announce that Bridget Henderson has been named the new Head of School starting with the 2020-2021 school year. Bridget Henderson has over 30 years of experience in public, private, and parochial schools spanning from Kindergarten to 12th grade. Currently, she is in her ninth year as Lower School Division Head at The Episcopal School of Baton Rouge. Since assuming the Division Head role, the lower school has seen marked growth in their academics including the addition of a PreK-3 program. Major areas of emphasis for Bridget during her time as a Division Head include improvements to curriculum, social/emotional learning, student leadership development, spiritual growth, and safe learning environment creation. Bridget is known for establishing and maintaining strong lines of communication between parents, teachers, and administrators. On behalf of St. James, I am excited to welcome Bridget Henderson as our next Head of School. The Search Committee and I believe her experience, commitment to Episcopal education, and positive energy will excite the entire community. I am grateful for each of the past Heads of School and the legacy they helped create. I also deeply appreciate the leadership Fr. Michael Kuhn continues to show in this season of transition as Interim Head of School. After a very extensive search process, I am confident that Bridget Henderson is the right person to lead our school into the future. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be the next Head of School at St. James. Every person that I met on my visit—students, teachers, parents, and members of the community—expressed a sincere love of St. James, and I am delighted to be a part of that as the next Head of School. Together we will build on the wonderful traditions of the past and prioritize academics in a warm and loving Christian environment,” Bridget Henderson said. “St. James Episcopal Day School is an energetic, loving, and learning community deserving of a leader with the same qualities. Bridget Henderson is unquestionably a highly respected and experienced educator with strong administrative and organizational gifts demonstrated over a rich and lengthy career working with faculty, students, and parents. She speaks with integrity from a base of educational knowledge and takes action from a place of care for the community, her priority being the best interest for the children entrusted to her. Bridget Henderson will be the best kind of leader for St. James, embodying the School's commitment to faith, community, and learning,” The Rev. Michael Kuhn, current Interim Head of School, said. To select our new Head of School, the Board of Trustees appointed a Search Committee in June that conducted a national search with the assistance of The Education Group, a highly-regarded consulting firm with extensive experience with Episcopal Day Schools. An exceptional pool of candidates was evaluated, and semi-finalists were selected by the committee and interviewed. Out of those semi-finalists, three finalists were selected for an on-site visit to St. James in late October to meet students, parents, faculty, staff, and other key stakeholders. All three finalists possess incredible gifts and strengths, and the Search Committee had considerable variables to weigh. However, the Search Committee’s unanimous recommendation to the school’s Board of Trustees was Bridget Henderson. As we prepare for the coming transition, please keep the students, the school, and Bridget in your prayers. There will be opportunities in the coming months to visit with Bridget and to learn more about the transition. Thank you for your continued support of St. James Episcopal Day School. Sincerely, Fr. Chris |
FAQswho is helping to facilitate the search for a new head of school?
The Board of Trustees has acquired the services of The Education Group (TEG), a consulting firm founded over 30 years ago by educators to tailor searches to the needs of each school by valuing their rich history, traditions, and mission. The two consultants working with SJEDS are Dave Davies and Allison Lorimer. To learn more about TEG and our consultants, visit their website. who is leading the school during this season of transition?
The Rev. Michael Kuhn has accepted the call to serve as the Interim Head of School for the 2019-2020 school year. Fr. Michael comes to SJEDS with over three decades in Episcopal education with thirteen years as the Head of School at Trinity Episcopal School in New Orleans. Donna Lamonte will also continue her role as Assistant Head of School with a primary focus on curriculum development and classroom teaching. Finally, the Rev. Chris Duncan continues to serve over both the school and church as the Rector of St. James. How long will the head of school search last? when do you expect the next head of school to be hired?
The Board of Trustees wants to ensure SJEDS takes our time to find the best candidate to lead us into our exciting future. Therefore, we are not able to give a strict timeline. However, our goal is for the new permanent Head of School to start on July 1, 2020. What steps are taken in the search process?
Dave and Allison from TEG came to SJEDS during May 2019. The Board also formed a Search Committee to help facilitate the search process. Our consultants will assist the Search Committee in developing a detailed profile after the SJEDS community’s input is received from a survey. Then TEG will work to identify and compile a list of candidates who would best fit St. James’ search criteria. The Committee will review these candidate files, interview the most viable candidates, and identify finalists who will visit our campus for further interviews. After considering input from all constituents who meet with finalists, the Search Committee will join Fr. Chris in recommending a candidate for appointment. WHAT is the role of the search committee?
The Search Committee, along with the search consultants, is tasked with directing the new Head of School search process from start to finish. The Committee will coordinate input from SJEDS’s various constituencies, work with TEG to develop the detailed position profile description, and review the first round of candidates. They will then organize and conduct interviews with the semifinal and final candidates. At the end of the process, the Search Committee in conjunction with Fr. Chris will present a qualified candidate to be confirmed by the Board of Trustees. Another major function of the Search Committee is to keep our community informed and engaged throughout the process, while also ensuring confidentiality. Will the head of school search impact the students' experience at sjeds?
No! Our faculty, staff, and administrators are dedicated to our primary goal, which is to provide each child an outstanding educational experience through a commitment to academic excellence with a kind and loving spirit. |
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