Matthew McCormick Appointed Interim Head of Upper School

Indian Creek is pleased to announce that Matthew McCormick has been appointed Interim Head of Upper School, to begin in the 2019-20 school year. This announcement follows Upper School Head Gerry Connolly's decision to return to the Latin classroom full time next year, and also serve as Advisor to incoming Head of School Booth Kyle. In his 18 years at ICS, Mr. McCormick has served many roles, and each experience has deepened his investment in the Indian Creek School community.

Mr. McCormick has been at ICS since 2001, helping to guide the school from its formative stages to today's vibrant school community. He taught in the Middle School for six years before moving to the Upper School as its first Dean of Students in 2007. He then transitioned to the role of Associate Head of the Upper School in 2013, and served as Acting Head of the Upper School in the fall of 2018. Over the years, he has enjoyed working closely with students, faculty, and families to help support teens during these important years of growth. Through this work, he has embraced the ICS founding principle of 'rational discourse' to create an environment where students can learn and grow. He has worked in collaboration with the counseling team and the school support program to help ensure that students have a team of caring adults helping them during their high school years.

As Associate Head of the Upper School, Mr. McCormick has worked closely with Head of the Upper School Gerry Connolly to create a rich academic program and engaged team of faculty and staff. He has been instrumental in building the school schedule, and has assisted in reviewing and writing academic curriculum from a Pre-K through grade 12 perspective.

Mr. McCormick brings years of classroom experience to his new role. He currently teaches AP Literature and Composition, Acting and Movement, and Human Development, and serves as Humanities Department coordinator. He has also taught American Literature and Shakespeare in Film at the Upper School, and Literature, English, and Physical Education for grades 6-8.

He believes deeply in the ICS philosophy that experiences outside the classroom enhance learning within. Mr. McCormick has directed the fall play for grades 9-12 since 2013, taking great pride in the high caliber of work that his Creek actors have achieved. He has also enjoyed his role as Assistant Director for the grades 9-12 musical, and being involved with set-building and the tech crew over the years. In addition to his appreciation of the Arts, Mr. McCormick is quite passionate about the Eagles Athletics program. He was honored to be the Eagles' very first Varsity Boys Soccer coach during the team's formative years.

Mr. McCormick is the co-creator and a Director of the BLinc (Blended Learning at Indian Creek) program. He and fellow BLinc co-creator Mrs. Malachowski, have had several opportunities to share their expertise on innovative education on national platforms, including - most recently - the NBOA National Leaders Conference, the AIMS Technology Retreat, and OESIS in Los Angeles, California. He also co-authored the article "BLinc: One School's Foray into Blended Learning," which was published by NAIS.

Mr. McCormick was named a Rafael Shachter Institute Fellow through The Defiant Requiem Foundation. He has written curriculum for the Journeys in Film organization and led sessions on this work for educators nation-wide. Locally, Mr. McCormick has served on many panels to share the benefits of Indian Creek's Late Start, as well as the ICS Advanced Placement program, and appeared on the AIMS "So You Want to Be an Administrator" panel.

Mr. McCormick received his Master of Liberal Arts degree from Johns Hopkins University, and his Bachelor of Arts in English from Washington and Jefferson College.

"I am honored to have the opportunity to continue the momentum that Indian Creek has built, sparked by our first Upper School Head Eileen Mattingly, and propelled even further by Gerry Connolly. Being a part of a school community that places priority on relationship-building and sees the value in every individual, as well as focusing on an incredible academic program and wide opportunities to excel, fills me with pride. These are exciting times for Indian Creek and I am thrilled that my family has the opportunity to be a part of it all."