On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I’m delighted to announce that following a nationwide search, Mr. Matt Covey has accepted our offer to become the new Head of School effective this July. This search was coordinated by our Interim Heads of School and involved a Transition Team made up of parents, Board members, faculty, Foundation Board representation and a member of the Administrative Leadership Team. This team reviewed all 22 applicants who submitted resumes and answers to the questions we asked. Following the initial screening, the team interviewed five applicants and then recommended two to the Board of Trustees for final interviews. I’m happy to say that following this process, the Board was unanimous in our decision to offer this opportunity to Matt.
Matt has successfully served Sioux Falls Christian Schools for 18 years in a variety of leadership positions, most recently as the Elementary Principal. He has earned three degrees from the University of Sioux Falls, a Bachelor of Arts-Secondary Education Major, a Reading Specialist Degree-Masters in Reading K-12 Principal Endorsement and most recently an Educational Specialist Degree-Superintendent. During his tenure at Sioux Falls Christian, Matt was the lead administrator involved in the development of the Kids Corner, a program giving before and after school care as well as Summer programs. In addition, he was the implementor of their Early Childhood program as well as their inclusion program. We are delighted to have a new HOS with his background and experience. In addition to leadership at the school, Matt is currently serving as an elder at the Shalom Christian Reformed Church where his wife is also actively engaged.
Below you will find a letter from Mr. Covey introducing his family. I would ask you to pray for them as they leave family and friends to take up this new work.
On behalf of the Board,
Dan Addink
President, Board of Trustees
Letter from Matt Covey
My hope is this letter finds you well rested after a Christmas break. First, let me, on behalf of my family, share our appreciation and excitement for the opportunity the Denver Christian school board and community have offered us. We can’t wait to start serving with all of you soon. It was clear to us during our visit that DC is a special place and that God has a profound purpose for it in Denver and beyond. Your board, administration and transition team have handled everything humbly, patiently and professionally up until this point so you can be assured this process has been and is in good hands. They have represented the school well from the beginning of this process up until our acceptance of the offer to serve as DC’s Head of School. You can be proud of their effort as, ultimately, it was the people of DC that drew us toward the opportunity.
Let me briefly introduce myself and my family so you have somewhat of an idea of who we are before we are able to meet you all.
Charissa, my wife, grew up on a farm outside of Flandreau, SD, attended Flandreau schools and graduated from Augustana (Sioux Falls, SD) with an elementary education degree. She furthered her education by obtaining her Masters in Reading from USF and taught in Brandon, SD and Freeman, SD. Once our 1st child, Quin, was born, we decided she would stay home until our youngest started attending school. Believe it or not, our youngest starts Kindergarten next year so it will be time for her to start re-considering entering the workforce soon. She is a super talented lady, yes, I have a biased opinion, but I am pretty confident it is true. I am excited for her and this new chapter in her life.
With our 4 children, Quin (5th grade-daughter), Charles (3rd grade-son), Marlowe (1st grade-daughter), and Campbell (Pre-K-daughter), we are active members of Shalom Christian Reformed Church in Sioux Falls, SD. Our involvement there is important to us and a significant part of our lives is invested in the work of Shalom both locally and globally.
I grew up in Hull, IA and attended the local Christian schools there before moving onto college. I am a graduate of University of Sioux Falls (Sioux Falls, SD) and have done post-graduate work there, earning my Educational Specialist degree in District Leadership the summer of 2018 as well as a Masters in Leadership in 2006 and a Masters in Reading in 2008. This year is the 13th year of my elementary principalship at Sioux Falls Christian and can say with sincerity that I am as passionate about the mission and vision of Sioux Falls Christian today as I was when I first started teaching there in 2002. I started at SFC as a middle school teacher and high school coach of several sports. That being said, Charissa and I look forward to learning more about the work God is doing at Denver Christian and how we might serve the DC community well in this next season of its existence.
You can trust we will be praying for all of you as you finish out the school year and we ask for your prayers as we do the same. We have met several wonderful folks so far, and we anticipate meeting many more. On behalf of myself, Charissa and the rest of our family see you all very soon.
Warmly,
Matt Covey