Location: Upper Darby,PA, USA
Holy Child Academy in Drexel Hill, an independent Catholic school serving children from age 2 through 8th grade, has announced the appointment of Dr. Rebecca A. Kellich as its next Head of School, effective July 1, 2023.
Dr. Kellich, who currently serves as Associate Head of School, will succeed Margaret Fox-Tully, who will conclude a successful seven-year tenure as HCA's head at the end of this school year.
“The Board of Trustees could not be more excited to have Rebecca as our next leader,” said Tom McGrath, board chair. “She's impressed us enormously with her intelligence, hard work, creativity, and strong vision for the future. We have the highest confidence that she'll be an outstanding head.”
Dr. Kellich, a resident of Havertown, joined Holy Child Academy in 2017 as its Director of Admissions; in 2018 she was promoted to Director of the Middle School, and in 2020 she was elevated to Associate Head of School. Prior to joining Holy Child, Dr. Kellich worked as a counselor in the School District of Philadelphia. She holds a doctorate in education from Temple University and an undergraduate degree from St. Joseph's University.
“I am deeply honored to be named the next Head of School at Holy Child Academy, Drexel Hill. One learns very quickly how special the HCA community is and I have been blessed to be a part of it for the last six years. In that time, we made tremendous progress in advancing our programming and innovating the student experience. I am eager to continue this important work in collaboration with the faculty and staff, students, parents, the Board of Trustees, and the alumni and friends of Holy Child.
I am grateful to the Steering Committee for their work in the selection process and to Margaret Fox-Tully for her mentorship. I look forward to continuing to live the mission and vision of Cornelia Connelly and the spirit of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus as we head into the next chapter of Holy Child Academy's history.”
McGrath said the board conducted an in-depth search for a successor to Fox-Tully, who has overseen increases in enrollment and fundraising during her tenure while keeping the school operating in person during the COVID pandemic. A search committee considered more than a dozen candidates before recommending Dr. Kellich, whose appointment was unanimously approved by the full board.
Founded in 1927, Holy Child Academy's current enrollment is 173 students. Its program is rooted in the educational and spiritual tradition of Cornelia Connelly, foundress of the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus; its students come from a wide variety of faith backgrounds.
Academically, the school is highly regarded for its small class sizes, innovative STEAM lab, and Next Step program, which prepares middle school students to excel in elite high schools.
Holy Child Academy is part of the Holy Child Network of Schools, a confederation of nine educational institutions across the country. The network also includes the Holy Child School at Rosemont.
Dear Members of the Holy Child Academy Community,
On behalf of the Holy Child Academy Board of Trustees, I'm excited to announce that Dr. Rebecca Kellich will become our next Head of School, effective July 1st, 2023. She'll succeed Margaret Fox-Tully, who'll retire at the end of this school year after a successful seven-year tenure leading HCA.
Rebecca is someone our community already knows well. For the last five years—as director of admissions, as director of the middle school, and most recently as Associate Head of School—she's been a valued and deeply respected member of the HCA administrative team, bringing thoughtfulness, energy, creativity, and joy to all of her work. She's devoted to— and a tireless champion of—our students, and every day she lives out the spiritual and educational values of Cornelia Connelly.
Rebecca brings to the position stellar credentials and experience, including an undergraduate degree from St. Joseph's University, a doctorate in education from Temple University, and eight years working in the school district of Philadelphia prior to joining HCA. The board is confident she has the skills and vision to be a truly outstanding leader of our school.
Our selection of Dr. Kellich was made following a thorough search. Our search committee (co-chaired by trustee Lynette Brown-Edwards and myself) considered more than a dozen applicants and interviewed four candidates in person, including Rebecca. In her role as a candidate, Rebecca also had the opportunity to meet with our faculty and staff and do a presentation for the full Board of Trustees; she received overwhelming support.
Because Rebecca is already so familiar with Holy Child, we anticipate a seamless transition as she assumes her new role this summer. The board looks forward to developing an even closer working relationship with her in the years ahead.
Please join me in thanking Margaret for her invaluable leadership of HCA, and in congratulating Rebecca on becoming our next Head of School. We wish her nothing but success.
Sincerely,Tom McGrathChair, Board of Trustees
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