The John Bapst Memorial High School Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that Mr. David Armistead will assume the position of John Bapst Head of School (HOS) commencing July 1, 2021. He will succeed Mr. Mel MacKay, who has led the school since 2007.
Mr. Armistead has been in education for 30 years. He has served at John Bapst since 2006, first as a Social Sciences teacher, then as Academic Dean, and currently as Associate Head of School.
Throughout his tenure at John Bapst, Mr. Armistead has consistently demonstrated a commitment to John Bapst’s mission, vision, and values, ability to advocate effectively by building coalitions and consensus, passion for building and facilitating an inclusive school culture and community in which all students and faculty thrive, and strategic and development acumen as evidenced by shepherding John Bapst through both normal operations and a global pandemic.
Mr. Armistead came highly recommended for this position and was selected after multiple interviews and overwhelming positive feedback from members of the John Bapst community.
As Associate Head of School, Mr. Armistead has been integral in managing the academic program, expanding the AP program, building a strong faculty, providing professional development to ensure John Bapst teachers continue to be thoughtful practitioners, and effectively managing both internal and external John Bapst communications.
Mr. Armistead helped research and implement the international program, a program that has more than doubled over the past 10 years and created a more diverse John Bapst community. Additionally, Mr. Armistead has worked to create a dual enrollment program, a co-op program, and a Distinguished Graduate Program. He has worked closely with Phase I of the capital campaign (the gymnasium and fitness center) and has assisted with the early planning stages of Phase II (community center/dining hall and kitchen, and technology center).
The John Bapst family is grateful for Mr. Armistead’s effort in shaping our current school and looks forward to what he has in store for the future.
If you see Mr. Armistead today or later in the week, please congratulate him!