St. Michael’s Catholic Academy, a high school in the Barton Creek neighborhood, announced that Heidi Sloan will take on the position as the new head of school starting in July.
Sloan has worked at the school for eight years, most recently as director of academics, and she has worked closely with the outgoing head of school, Dr. Dawn Nichols, according to a release from the school. Sloan previously was the humanities chair and a French instructor.
Sloan said she is excited to continue to advance the mission of the school.
“The exciting work that has happened at St. Michael’s during the last five years has been exhilarating to be a part of (as the director of academics),” she said. “I am really passionate about the student experience. I love that our community is a diverse one and we welcome a broad range of students and it’s exciting to be able to work with them.”
Sloan helped to conceptualize, plan and implement the school’s winter term program, which is a unique academic, internship and global travel program that takes place during three weeks in January.
“Impeccable in her professionalism and commitment to mission, Heidi Sloan will bring to the role of head of school an amazing combination of knowledge and initiative,” Nichols said in a statement. “I am confident that she will steer this precious school adeptly into the future.”
As she takes on this new role, Sloan will continue to lead ground-breaking curriculum development to meet emerging experiential education model needs as part of the HALO project. Short for the Hub for Advanced Learning, HALO includes construction of a new two-story academic campus wing that will include a research hub and will provide the opportunity for students to engage in purpose based learning and cross curricular learning.
“The program is going to be very nimble to allow for evolution of what’s current and what’s coming to really allow our students to be future ready,” Sloan said. “The possibilities are really endless.”
Sloan also will be tasked with leading St. Michael’s into next school year with lingering pandemic uncertainties. She said this year the school made use of outdoor spaces and large indoor spaces for learning to keep the community safe.
“The school has been very responsive and has done the work necessary to create a safe environment and get the student back on campus as soon as it was safe to do so,” she said.
Sloan said she is honored to be leading St. Michael’s into the school’s next chapter.
“I’m passionate about learning and I’m excited about where education is heading,” she said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity. I have grown to love this community, it’s really such a special place. I am excited for what the future holds for St. Michael’s.”
