Letter from Sherri Helvie 12/15/17

Dear Orchard Community,

We are excited to announce that The Orchard School Boards of Governors and Trustees have unanimously selected Dr. Sherri Helvie to become Head of School effective July 1, 2018. Sherri currently serves as the Assistant Head of School at Gateway School, a premier progressive K-8 school in Santa Cruz, CA., where she oversees the academic program and contributes to the strategic and operational work of the school. 

 

Sherri’s appointment as Orchard’s ninth Head of School is the culmination of an extensive search process that began in June when current Head of School, Tom Rosenbluth, announced that 2017-18 would be his fifth and final year at Orchard. The first step taken by the Search Committee, aided by Jo Butler of Wickenden Associates, was to define the critical attributes and experiences for Orchard’s next Head of School. Input from all segments of the Orchard community—including current faculty and staff, parents, alumni, past parents and teachers—formed the basis of an Opportunity Statement that was widely distributed in a far-reaching national search. 

 

Throughout September and October applicants from across the country—plus a few international locations—submitted their materials. Eight semi-finalists were chosen from a pool of nearly 40 candidates. The Search Committee interviewed each member of this diverse and highly qualified group of applicants in mid-November, and after long deliberations, three finalists were chosen. During the past two weeks, these educators visited Orchard and engaged with the community, spending time with faculty and staff, current students, current parents, alumni, and members of both Boards.

 

Feedback from interactions with the Orchard community and her references made it clear that Sherri is the inspiring, visionary, and strategically-minded leader who can combine Orchard’s rich traditions with the creativity and innovation that distinguishes progressive schools. The Search Committee unanimously recommended Sherri Helvie as the candidate to lead Orchard to its 100th year and beyond.

 

We are pleased to welcome a progressive educator of Sherri’s caliber to Indianapolis and to Orchard. As Sherri stated in her letter to the Search Committee, “I am inspired by Orchard’s commitment to whole-child education, experiential learning, social justice, and diversity, the same values that have motivated my work in education for more than 20 years.” Sherri’s focus on community building and academic excellence also impressed the Search Committee. 

 

Read Sherri’s statement of Educational Philosophy and Leadership.

 

Coming to Orchard as Head of School will be a homecoming of sorts for Sherri, as her father, siblings, and extended family live in Peru, IN, approximately 90 minutes from Indianapolis. Sherri and her husband Sean, along with their two sons, Emmet (10) and Owen (5), are excited to join the Orchard community.

 

Sherri served as Middle School Coordinator at Gateway from 2009-2014, before she was promoted to her current post of Assistant Head of School. From 2004-2009, she taught Ancient and Medieval Literature at Pacific Collegiate School in Santa Cruz and also served as English Department Chair and Director of the After-School Tutoring Program. Simultaneously, she taught courses on Charles Dickens and 20th century British fiction at University of California-Santa Cruz. From 2000-2004, Sherri worked as a project manager in Silicon Valley. 

 

Since 2016, Sherri has served on the Board of Trustees of the York School (an independent 8-12 school) in Monterey, CA., where she sits on the Finance Committee, and has been active in fund-raising and other board leadership activities.

 

Sherri holds a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in Women’s Studies from the University of Nevada, Reno, a master’s degree in English with emphases in Women’s Literature and Critical Theory and a minor in Classical Greek. She earned her doctorate in Literature with a degree notation in Women’s Studies from University of California-Santa Cruz.  

 

On behalf of the Search Committee, we would like to thank the Orchard community for their thoughtful participation in this process. From her tour of the grounds on a Gator, to her conversations with faculty and staff, and her interactions with parents and students, Sherri felt an immediate connection with the school.  Though Sherri will officially start as Head of School July 1, 2018, upon completion of her final contract work towards the transition will begin next semester. We look forward to introducing her in person to you as the new Head of School soon. We will hope you will join us in welcoming Sherri and her family to Orchard and to Indianapolis.