Head of School Transition

Head of School Announcement 

A video message from Dan Faas

A letter from Dan Faas

September 30, 2024

“There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens. A time to give birth, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance....” ~Ecclesiastes 3:1-4

Dear Academy Community,

I write to you today with my bittersweet decision to announce my coming retirement as Head of School, at the end of the 2025-2026 academic year. Several months ago, I informed the Board of Trustees that this is an appropriate time to search for a new head of school.

I take great pride in the school we have all created, and I have absolute faith in its ability to grow and thrive in the future. The Academy is now a fully-formed institution with a robust educational program and a rich and distinct culture all its own. It is not dependent on one person or group of people to succeed. What it will require, however, is the continuing involvement of the community of teachers, administrators, the Board of Trustees, and parents to help our students live out their ‘good, better, and best.’

The Board of Trustees has begun the process of recruiting a new Head of School. I am confident we will find someone who embodies our core tenets of character, competence, and compassion, with the talents and grace to lead this wonderful school and nurture the young people whose education is entrusted to us. I am committed to ensuring a smooth and effective transition.

I am sincerely grateful to current and past board members, who have provided guidance and leadership throughout the school’s development; the community of teachers and administrators, who have imparted their knowledge and gifts to our students; and to the parents who have entrusted us with their children’s care and education. I will forever be grateful to the late Edward Cardinal Egan and Dr. Catherine Hickey for their faith in my ability to lead the creation and development of the Academy of St. Joseph.

In closing, I now look to you to ensure that this school continues to flourish by offering the next Head of School the same love and support you have blessed me with. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the blessing of the Academy of St. Joseph in my life.

With love and gratitude,

Angela Coombs

Head of School

September 30, 2024

Dear Academy Community:

The Academy of St. Joseph is a Catholic school founded on the values of Character, Competence, and Compassion and, since its inception, no person has embodied and lived out those values more than Ms. Angela Coombs, our founding Head of School. It is therefore with sincere mixed emotions that the Board of Trustees turns the page on a new chapter for our school. After 19 years fearlessly and tirelessly leading the Academy of St. Joseph, Ms. Coombs will retire as Head of School at the end of the 2025-2026 School Year. Ms. Coombs’ characteristically thoughtful and forward-looking engagement with Board leadership about her plans to retire has offered us a lengthy runway for the critical process of selecting her successor. It is yet another reason to be grateful for her leadership.

On behalf of the Board, I wish to express our deepest gratitude to Ms. Coombs for that leadership, for her example and, perhaps most importantly, for her steadfast attention to nurturing and caring for each Academy student. The Board, and I personally, will be forever grateful to her for this heartfelt dedication to our beloved institution. Ms. Coombs’ energy, vision, and leadership are the foundation for the Academy and the engine of growth for building the vibrant educational community it is today. Since the founding of the Academy in 2007, Ms. Coombs has shepherded our school from a fledgling institution with a single class of students to a fully operational, thriving educational institution. From the beginning, Ms. Coombs captured the energy and creativity of our families, our neighborhood, and our city in recruiting a top-notch faculty and administration in fulfilling the goal of providing the best education possible to Academy students. Ms. Coombs’ commitment and devotion have carried us through innumerable Academy accomplishments: Graduating the Academy’s first class; achieving accreditation from NYSAIS; successfully navigating the COVID pandemic; and placing our graduates in New York City’s finest public and private high schools, where they have thrived.

We on the Board are fully committed to ensuring a smooth transition to a new Head of School and continuing our mission in providing an exemplary education to Academy students. We have engaged Carney, Sandoe & Associates, a highly respected and experienced search firm, as our search consultants to assist with the recruitment process. CS&A brings deep knowledge of independent schools from more than 45 years of experience guiding schools through their searches for exceptional heads of schools and presidents, senior administrators, and faculty. Of particular note, CS&A has a robust Catholic Schools Practice and an exceptional history of supporting Catholic schools during periods of transition, including Catholic independent schools in New York City.

The Search Committee will be led by Father Anthony Andreassi, a Trustee and the former principal of Regis High School, along with other Board members and other members of the broader Academy community. With CS&A’s assistance, the Board is confident that the position will attract significant attention from talented Catholic educators. Most important, we seek candidates who will carry forward the vision of Ms. Coombs and preserve and partner with the Academy’s greatest asset – its vibrant, strong, and committed community. To that end, we believe that this recruitment process can succeed only with a strong partnership with the Academy’s most important stakeholders – its administration, faculty, and parents. We look forward to working with you in this important endeavor.

We will communicate more information and opportunities to participate in the process in the next few weeks and months. In announcing her retirement now, Ms. Coombs has provided us with plenty of time not only to conduct an extensive and vigorous search process but also to celebrate her legacy and express our appreciation for her endless contributions. For now, please join us in celebrating Ms. Coombs’s extraordinary tenure at the Academy as we move together toward a bright future.

Sincerely,

David Sylofski

Chair, Board of Trustees of the Academy of St. Joseph