Episcopal School of Dallas has named Kim MaGee its new interim head of school, effective immediately.

In an email sent Sunday to the ESD community, board chairman W. Plack Carr Jr. said:

Kim MaGee’s qualifications are exceptional. We have found an exceedingly impressive leader who is passionate about educating students, both academically and spiritually. She is enthusiastic, collegial, and has a deep respect for ESD’s mission and Founding Tenets. Kim will provide crucial direction during this year of transition, as the ESD community celebrates the long-term leadership of Father Swann and looks to the future with the search for our next permanent Head of School.

MaGee served for 11 year at the Bishop Strachan School in Toronto, first as their vice principal of curriculum, then as assistant head of school, and finally as head of school. More as we get it.

Last December, the Rev. Stephen Swann announced he would retire when the Episcopal School of Dallas, which he founded in 1974, could find a headmaster to replace him. That search is still under way, but Swann informed the school’s board in a July 16 letter that he’ll be leaving Nov. 30. Diane Jennings of The Dallas Morning News broke the news (to me, at least) this evening.

Jesuit’s Zach Stavrou; St. Mark’s Kareem Itani; Alex Totilo; Benny Broadway; Spencer Soles; Daniel Hansen; ESD’s Taylor Curtis-Wheeler; Jesuit’s Tanner Davis; Austin Broyles; Coach Nick Stavrou; St. Mark’s DeShawon Nembhard; Casey Eaton; Zach Duran; Drake Lovelady; Dante DiCiolli; Victor Villarreal, and Jesuit’s Chris Mathis.

Soccer players from ESD, Jesuit, and St. Mark’s were recently crowned the U-17 champions as members of Solar Chelsea ’95.

The top 200 US Youth Soccer boys and girls teams from the 12 state associations that make up US Youth Soccer Region III participated in the Region III Championships in Greenville, South Carolina from June 15 — 21.

After surviving the “group of death” in the preliminary matches and the defending national champions in the quarter-final match, Solar Chelsea ’95 was  crowned the  U-17 age bracket  champions in the Region III US Youth Soccer Championships.  Dante DiCiolli received the Golden Gloves award due to his outstanding performance during the tournament. The Solar Chelsea ’95 team is comprised of players who also play for local high school power-house teams: Jesuit, St. Mark’s, ESD, McKinney Boyd, FM Marcus, Allen, Lovejoy, and Coppell.

The Solar Chelsea ’95 team will advance to the third and final stage of the quest for the National Championship in Rock Hill,  South Carolina, from July 25 — 29.

Thirty-three Providence Christian School graduates walked across the stage Friday and are now moving onto high schools including the Cambridge School, Episcopal School of Dallas, Highland Park High School, the Hockaday School, Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas, Lake Highlands High School, Trinity Christian Academy, and W.T. White High School.

Bachman Lake — a little bit smelly, a little noisy, and sometimes a little sketchy — is home to the Dallas Rowing Club and several private schools’ rowing teams. On Saturday, the annual Bachman Shootout Regatta will be held at the lake! Hockaday, ESD, St. Mark’s, Ursuline, and many others will journey to my favorite artificial lake to race their little hearts out. As a member of the Hockaday crew team, I can assure you this will be one very exciting regatta! Everyone should come out and support a school, or possibly just feel a little fancier than normal.

March Madness is an exciting time to follow college basketball, but it’s even more fun when you can cheer on a hometown hero. While last year’s NCAA tournament featured a handful of local legends, this year’s has only one: ESD grad Phil Pressey, who is a dominant force for the No. 2 seed in the south, Missouri. h/t Dallas Morning News.

The Episcopal School of Dallas is hosting two town-hall-style meetings for alumni to weigh in on the selection of a new headmaster. The first such meeting will be held at 6 p.m. tomorrow in the Zachary Bell theater at the Upper School campus, 4100 Merrell Road.

The meeting will be a guided discussion based on the following questions:

1. What do you see as the strengths of our school?

2. What key aspects of ESD should be considered “non-negotiable”?

3. What makes ESD unique?

4. What are the challenges and priorities to be addressed by the new Head of School going forward?

5. What are the most important experiences, qualities, practices, and values of the individual we are seeking as our next Head of School?

A second meeting is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. March 20.

Making reservations might get tricky tonight, thanks to the surplus of well-dressed teen couples that will be filling the seats at your favorite restaurants. Greenhill, ESD, and Hockaday are each hosting their annual Sadie Hawkins Dance tonight. The Sadie Hawkins Dance is a reverse prom, where the girls ask the guys to be their dates. The typical night starts with a photo op filled with camera-eager parents, followed by a fancy dinner and the actual dance. The night often ends with an after party.