The Making of a Headmaster

ANNU REPO A R L T2009 TheAndreanFALL 2009 VOLUME 53 NUMBER 2 THE MAKING OF A HEADMASTER Meet the McHenry Family G EOFF G EORGE 8 FALL 2009 Kevin McHenry: the Making of a Headmaster New Head’s self-knowledge and clear vision validate committee’s choice By JIM MCGILLIVRAY arely do you encounter indi- Nortel. I was raised in Mississauga supportive. I tried to keep all my op- viduals who are as focused where my mother still lives. I have tions available and decided to pursue as Kevin McHenry. Rarely two older brothers: Dan lives in a business degree and keep an open are people so able to under- Toronto where he is a teacher, mind. I didn’t waver much. I had some Rstand their own motivations or articulate and Pat lives in Oakville and is a very interesting summer jobs in business. their own vision so clearly. Rarer still technology consultant. My father connected me with different are people who will share it so honestly. How early did you know what you people, and he probably had an ulterior Kevin McHenry became the eighth wanted to do with your life? motive. In my graduating year at Lau- Headmaster of St. Andrew’s College, I knew in grade 9 that I wanted to be rier I received a very good offer from a with the departure of Ted Staunton, a principal. In high school I just loved company in New York, and my parents after the School’s 110th year in June. everything about the environment and and I ended up going to Manhattan. Andrean writer Jim McGillivray met what it had to offer. I worked hard and I thought that it was best to go there with Kevin in May, just a month before participated fully in the life of the school and see New York for myself, as this he moved into the driver’s seat. and established good relationships with was potentially a life-altering decision. the teachers and the principal. I often The three of us went down Easter What should we know first about spoke with the principal and remember weekend, and I met with company Kevin McHenry? many days just dropping by to talk to representatives. The job being offered My family is the most important aspect him about his position; that’s a big part to me was an entry-level job, so it of my life. Karan and I have been of why I’m here today. I loved school all wasn’t the red-carpet treatment, but married for 13 years, and we have the way through and thought, why not still, it was quite an experience to have three beautiful children: Will, Caden work at a place I love? these impressive people saying that and Hadley. I was born in Montreal And you never wavered from this was the place for me to be. It was and spent the first five years of my that position? 1990 and I was a 23-year-old being life there, then moved to Mississauga My father was in business and I was offered a job in one of the commercial when my father was transferred with fortunate that my parents were very capitals of the world! THE ANDREAN 9 Obviously you never took the job… When I arrived at Western she had just Karan’s three-bedroom house in I related this story to the selection finished her business degree through Newmarket. Everything I owned committee for the Headmaster’s position the Richard Ivey School of Business. went into one car load! as it was one of those times you never She was asked to teach in the business It sounds as if your careers forget. We were in my parents’ car school, and she did that for two years. progressed in parallel. going over the George Washington She’d had aspirations of going into the Yes, we began to complete our masters’ Bridge and I told them that it was business world, but realized she loved through OISE together. We also did our all very appealing and exciting, but I teaching, so she applied to teachers’ principal’s papers together. I took 17 explained to them that I always wanted college at Western. We met on the first full courses during my first 6 years of to be a teacher and principal, and that’s day of classes. teaching. It was a very busy time for us, what I planned to pursue. I saw my We were married in July of 1996. We but we didn’t have children yet so it was dad’s shoulders droop, but to his credit, left teachers’ college a few years ear- manageable. We both knew what the he turned around to look at me and lier, and the job market was not good. future held, and we wanted to get the said they knew that all along and that I was keen to work in Mississauga or course work done before we had a family. they would support me in my decision. Oakville, but Karan’s family is from Karan ended up going through the prin- And so you became a teacher. Newmarket and she encouraged me to cipal’s process at York Region District First, I went to Australia. I graduated apply to York Region. I did, and I was School Board at the same time that I did. Johnathon Adams ‘13 (left) and Prefect, Joshua Si ‘10 (right), discuss G EOFF matters of the day with G Kevin McHenry EORGE from Laurier with a B.B.A. – a Bachelor hired to teach Business at Thornlea That was an excellent experience. It’s of Business Administration – and then I Secondary School in Thornhill. I lived a very intense four-stage process with a went to see Australia and New Zealand in Mississauga and commuted for the lot of preparation work, and it was really for 10 months. That was for fun, though first five years. Karan is bilingual and helpful to do it together. I moved after I worked for a while in a finance office she started teaching grade 6 French in six years at Thornlea to become Head in Brisbane to pay for it, again the result Holland Landing. Then she moved to of Business at Huron Heights for three of my father’s contacts. It was a great teach business at Sutton District High years, then I became a Vice Principal trip. When I returned home I attended School. She owned a house in Newmarket. at Newmarket High. Karan went south teachers’ college at Western. When we were married I ended up to Bayview Secondary School and then Where did you meet Karan? with a pretty good deal: I moved into she become a Vice Principal at Langstaff 10 FALL 2009 High School in Richmond Hill. After unable to play for the remainder of the past May we captured our very first that she was hired as the Vice Principal season. I also wrestled, which is maybe CISAA Baseball Championship. responsible for expelled students in the most interesting part of my sports I love all sports and look forward to the York Region District School Board, life. I was offered a scholarship to Simon supporting our teams from the sidelines including night- and summer school. Fraser University, which I seriously con- as Headmaster. This was a unique experience as well. sidered. I had repeatedly placed second Was a move to the independent sys- Karan then took a couple of years off as in the province in high school, always tem something you had planned for? our children came along, and until June losing to the same guy. I just could not No, not at all. I wasn’t looking for a served as a Vice Principal before taking beat him.He went on to four Olympic change, and I wasn’t aware that the a leave of absence, which could well Games in succession. It does seem odd St. Andrew’s Director of Academics become permanent because she wants now thatI was a wrestler and played com- position was posted. I had coached to support St. Andrew’s. Together, we petitive hockey. In one you’re trying to gain for years against St. Andrew’s and was really believe in this place. weight; in the other you’re trying to lose it. a co-convener of hockey with Dave Were you competitive with each other Wrestling was good in terms of Galajda. So I knew about St. Andrew’s during those times? discipline and physical training, but it and its wonderful reputation. We often Of course, it’s human nature to be came down to whether or not I wanted lost to SAC in the York Region hockey competitive, but it was great because to fight every day of my life. I had done final! I was in my office one day when we were so like-minded and driven. We that for eight years, and I was now Greg Reid called me. Ted had asked were focused and we wanted to finish interested in taking a business degree people to keep an eye out for appropriate the course work. Every single summer at a good business school. Laurier was candidates. I was caught off guard and for seven years, we went to Toronto to known for that, Simon Fraser was not, I just said, “Look, I’m on a track, as is take courses, and during the school year so I packed in the wrestling. Karan, so I don’t think so.” But I’d been we took evening courses.

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