From Mar. 9 to the end of the 2017-18 school year, former assistant principal John Loy will serve as interim principal. Loy will be stepping into the shoes of principal Vicki Sherwood, who is retiring after 35 years.
To make a smooth transition, Loy will be working alongside Sherwood and the administrative team during the first week of March.
Loy said he is experienced at moving into new schools. In his career of over 40 years in education, he has worked in many junior high and high schools across Washington state. However, Loy said the Inglemoor community holds a special place in his heart.
“I love this school. I am a part of the [Inglemoor] community. There’s no other way to put it,” Loy said. “I love the people that work here, and I know most of them.”
Since moving to the Bothell area in 1984, Loy and his family have been a part of the school community. All three of his children attended Inglemoor, while Loy and his wife served as co-presidents of the school’s Parent-Teacher Association. After his children graduated, Loy had the opportunity to serve as assistant principal from 2000 until he retired in 2012.
Because of his strong ties to the Viking community, as well as his administrative experience in and out of Northshore School District, Loy said superintendent Michelle Reid and assistant superintendent Heather Miller hired him this past month.
“John [Loy] has extensive knowledge about the systems and processes at Inglemoor and will be able to seamlessly step in to provide leadership and guidance when Ms. Sherwood leaves in March,” Miller said.
A successful transition will be easily achieved, Loy said, because he and Sherwood have a strong professional relationship and similar administrative philosophies in putting students first.
Along with maintaining a smooth transition, Loy said his main goals for his term as interim principal are to support students and to ensure that all seniors have a good finish to their senior year.
“Kids are going to feel secure,” Loy said. “They are going to have someone to talk to; parents and teachers too.”
Assistant principal Joe Mismas said he is excited to work with someone as passionate and knowledgeable about students as Loy.
“He’s in it for the right reasons,” Mismas said.
