Dear Saint Joseph School Community, | |
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We have an exciting update for you regarding our Assistant Head of School search! With support from Carney, Sandoe & Associates, and after several rounds of vetting and discussion, we are pleased to share two candidates for this new position at Saint Joe’s. Having met with these candidates, I believe that both would be an asset to our community. They are skilled and experienced practitioners with a desire to join an institution focused on the future. Please take a moment to read their biographies below. And while these short descriptions capture much of their work, they do not give a full accounting of all they have accomplished as educators.
I’ve also attached the job description for this position. When I arrived in the Fall, I was reminded that I would need to be intentional in the way that I explain the structure of Saint Joseph School’s leadership. I hope the job description and my commentary below is helpful in developing an understanding of where this role fits into our structure.
| This position serves as the “first among equals” on the leadership team and assumes operational responsibility for the school in the absence of the Head of School. This position will serve as the academic leader for our school, focusing on our most fundamental task – educating the minds of young people. They will dive deep into curriculum, scope, and sequence. They will support classroom teachers in the designing and implementation of various academic programs. They will serve as a resource in moments of student crisis and behavioral challenges. Finally, this position will join the leadership team in a collaborative spirit of service to our community. | |
Our ideal candidate is a servant leader, eager to support and guide our teachers while working to form our students into the best version of themselves. We are looking for someone who can advance our academic program and foster a community of faith and excellence. Personally, I am looking for a thought-partner who will challenge me and other members of the team to be better than we were yesterday.
The candidates will be joining us on campus next week. Please join your fellow community members on Monday (5/15/23) to meet Mary Bridget Chick, and Wednesday (5/17/23) to meet Sasha Eskelund, from 8:15-9:00am in the Middle School Dining Hall. After their visit, we will share a link to a feedback form. If you can join us for one of the sessions or you have worked with one of the candidates in the past, we encourage you to provide meaningful feedback via the survey.
Thank you for your patience and support throughout this process. Join me in praying that our efforts will be successful in finding a leader of integrity and faith.
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Assistant Head of School candidate profiles: | |
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Mary Bridget Chick
SJS scheduled visit: Monday
Mary Bridget Chick is thrilled to be a finalist for the St. Joseph Assistant Head of School position. Throughout her career as an educator, Mary has committed herself to Catholic education and throughout her tenure, has demonstrated a strong work ethic, extraordinary dedication to students, faculty, and staff, and the ability to relate well to others. Mary graduated from the University of Scranton with a BS in Psychology and from Boston College with a MA in Counseling Psychology and Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry. Since 2002, she has served in a variety of roles at Mount Alvernia High School in Newton, including Director of Campus Ministry/Theology Teacher, Chair of the Theology Department, School Counselor, and beginning in 2020, Assistant Head of School. In her current role, she has worked diligently to support student academic and social-emotional needs, implement a new student behavior/discipline program focused on a portrait of a graduate and SEL skill development, led school-wide professional development, and in conjunction with the Head of School, has been responsible for hiring mission-driven faculty and staff. In addition, Mary has collaborated with faculty and staff to develop a comprehensive grades 7-12 advisory program to support students in developing CASEL’s SEL competencies. Sadly, Mary learned recently that Mount Alvernia will be closing at the end of the academic year.
Mary relishes the opportunity to be considered for the Assistant Head of School opportunity. She looks forward to meeting members of the St. Joseph community and sharing her passion for Catholic education.
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Sasha Eskelund
SJS scheduled visit: Wednesday
Sasha Eskelund is delighted to be a finalist for the Assistant Head of School opportunity. A graduate of Barnard College where she earned her BA in French Literature and Translation, and New York University, where she earned her Master’s in French Literature, Sasha serves at Saint Joseph Prep in Boston as Director of Enrollment Management, where she has overseen outreach, marketing, and communications since 2022. Since Saint Joseph Prep announced in February that it was closing, Sasha has served on the senior administrative crisis-management team and led the transition team to assist all SJP students in applying to schools. While Sasha is disappointed that SJP will be closing, she is eager to find a new school community and feels fortunate for the opportunity to be considered for the Assistant Head of School role at St. Joseph’s. Her career as an educator has given her a wealth of experience. Sasha began her career as a French instructor at New York University and Barnard before serving as the Dean of Oxbridge Academic Programs in Paris. She has taught English at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, and from 2015-2022, taught English and Creative Writing, served as Chair of the English Department, and was the founding Director of Dive in Commonwealth at the Commonwealth School in Boston. In her role as Director of Dive in Commonwealth, she directed a tuition-free enrichment program for middle-school students from underserved backgrounds and led enrollment, hiring, budget, and curriculum initiatives, and supervised faculty and staff.
Sasha believes that St. Joseph’s mission aligns with her core values. She’s looks forward to her campus visit and getting to learn more about the St. Joe’s community.
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