Mission Moment

Dear Covenant Families,

Robert Littlejohn took the opportunity to interview our next Head of School, Melissa Hill, for our Mission Moment. He asks Melissa questions that many of you might have! Read below to learn more of Melissa’s history at Covenant and catch a glimpse of her aspirations for her next role. 
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Robert Littlejohn: So Melissa, thinking back to when you were a mom seeking a school for your children, what attracted you to Covenant?

Melissa Hill: Actually, our path to Covenant began with watching and emulating other families. We had several in our lives who were just a stage ahead of us, whom we admired for the way they raised their children and their thoughtful educational choices. Although each attended different churches and lived in different neighborhoods, the common denominator was Covenant.  The more we learned about Charlotte Mason and classical Christian education, the more we knew this was our place -- not just for our children, but for us as parents.  We wanted to participate in our children’s education, but we were not equipped to be wholly responsible.  We found Covenant to be a school to which we could confidently entrust our children year after year.

RL: Is it fair to say that Covenant delivered on your early expectations? What were some of the things that impressed you? 

MH: Absolutely, and I continue to be impressed!  Initially, the atmosphere was like no place else.  I loved being on campus because Covenant was teeming with the love of God, curiosity, wonder, and the understanding that we could know more of God by learning about all He created.  The culture was one of service, belonging, and community, grounded in the commitment to carrying forward a tradition that long preceded us all.  

Practically, in addition to math facts and spelling words, my children were learning to recognize wisdom and folly, goodness and evil, and the joy found in a well-written story.

RL: Tell me one of your favorite memories as a Covenant parent.

MH: Oh gosh!  I don’t know if I can narrow it down!  Probably, in general, it was the collective of having all four here at the same time, running to give each other hugs when they saw each other on the playground, checking in with each other when one was having a hard day, cheering each other on at games, and getting ready for homecoming together.  Now, some of my favorite times are when we’re all together and my children start telling old Covenant stories.  That’s the BEST!

RL: I know you did a lot of volunteering in those early years, but what convinced you to first join the ranks of Covenant’s employees?  

MH: Well, that was an easy decision!  After my children were all in school, it made sense for our family that I go back to work.  I’d always loved people, and the opportunity to introduce other families to Covenant was a delight.  Telling the story of Covenant over and over further deepened my love for and understanding of our mission, vision, and core values.  We were doing what we said we were!

RL: So, Other than touring Teresa and me when I was a candidate for head of school back in 2017, What’s a favorite story from your time as Admissions Director?

MH: Ha! So, a close second would be talking with the families, and I have had lots over the years who, when touring, truly didn’t even know the questions to ask. However, after being admitted and spending years at Covenant, they have circled back at football games or over email to thank me for guiding them as they began the journey God used to change their family's educational trajectory. Those encounters are priceless!

RL: What’s something that you are particularly happy to have accomplished as Admissions Director?

MH: Well, hiring Jennifer Peterson might be my first!  In addition to seeing Covenant through a tremendous time of enrollment growth, I was able to compile and examine the actual data surrounding our admissions process, enrollment, and retention.  Doing so helped with forecasting future growth, identifying pain points in retention, and planning for the natural cycles Covenant, like all private schools, would experience.  I have a secret love of numbers, so this was a fun project.

RL: Well, you know, for years I said the hardest thing I ever did was starting a school from scratch -  back in 1991. That experience has always given me a deep appreciation for Covenant’s founders and pioneers, for seeing Covenant through those difficult early days. But Covid actually changed my narrative, so that I now say that leading a school through a shutdown and reopening was the hardest thing. I was already head of school, and pretty much had to do it. But, you agreed to step into the Logic School Director role when we were shut down and really struggling with how to reopen effectively. I don’t know many people who would have taken on a new responsibility, especially one as demanding as leading a middle school, in the middle of a pandemic. What possessed you to take on such a huge challenge?

MH: When you say it like that, it does sound a little crazy!  But, back in the Spring of 2020, we had just admitted a brand new group of students and families, and when we found ourselves without a Logic School Head, I thought, how hard could it be?  I’m kidding.  Having had four children come through the Logic School, I knew firsthand what a difficult season it can be for both students and parents.  I also saw an opportunity to help shape a culture of joy, predictability, and belonging in a part of our school where we were experiencing a good deal of attrition.  It was incredibly difficult, and I may have called Laura Mountjoy in the middle of the night in tears several times that first year.  But, I also had to dig in, and resolve to actually practice what I was telling our Logic School students, teachers, and parents: that we are shaped, and our faith is shaped, more in struggle than ease.  It’s true!  I couldn’t be more grateful for our Logic faculty, who warmly welcomed me, answered all my questions, and linked arms with me that first year and ever since.  

RL: Very few adults remember middle school fondly, but our Logic students seem to be genuinely happy, and what they are learning is truly amazing for this age group. What would you say is Covenant’s secret when it comes to a flourishing middle school culture?

MH: Logic School faculty and staff sincerely love this age and stage.  We remember our own stories of middle school and how being loved and accepted in all our quirkiness felt like an impossible longing.  As Christians, we understand the reality of the love of God doesn’t always coincide with a feeling.  Sometimes, even as adults, we feel like we’re on the outside looking in.  So do our students.  Knowing that, the Logic School endeavors to model God’s love to our students in word and in deed, seeing our students for the image-bearers they are right now, and not wish these years away.  At the same time, we know they are not completely cooked yet and so we celebrate their process of becoming flourishing human beings, which includes struggle, practice, making mistakes, and learning to say, ‘I was wrong, I’m sorry.’  In Logic School, we work hard, and we laugh a LOT!

RL: What do you think you will you miss most about being the Logic School Head?

MH: Besides the faculty and staff, and the students, the thing I’ll miss the most is the different stories that I get to be a part of every day.  Maybe it was a traditionally quiet student who asked a fantastically insightful question for the first time in Literature and we celebrated with them and their teacher, or a student who wrangled the courage to stop by my office to propose a new and maybe-not-fully-formed idea about why we should get rid of uniforms altogether or, watching the students hunt ducks in the Spring (ask your Logic Student).  It’s really fun!  The everyday surprises I see and hear in Logic School are what I’ll miss the most. Thankfully, I’ve got several months left in Logic School and I’m thinking of asking my boss for a sailboat because, apparently, all the cool kids have one.

RL: That's right! We need to get you out on the water! Ok, we know you have a degree in Communications. And, I really don’t hold it against you that you are an Aggie. I mean, If you can’t sic ‘em, I guess you can gig ‘em. But tell me about this Gordon College Masters program? What is the focus and what about the program persuaded you to pursue this particular degree?

MH: You know, Dr. Littlejohn, I try so hard to forget you're a Baylor Bear and yet, here you go, reminding me again.  

I started my Masters in Classical Education Leadership through Gordon College in the summer of 2023, and it has been fantastic and incredibly challenging..  I would encourage any of our folks to pursue it.  The reason it has been so integral in growing my understanding of all aspects of leadership in a classical Christian school is two-fold.  First, the program is holistic, and my classes have ranged from board governance to the history of classical education.  Second, it’s a cohort model, so eight other school leaders, administrators, and teachers have traveled the same academic path alongside me, which has enriched the experience beyond my expectations.  I’ve made lifelong friends and mentors who share my love for classical Christian education.  Finally, becoming a student again has given me a fresh empathy and understanding for our students and teachers.  Writing papers or raising your hand when you don’t understand is intimidating!  I look forward to learning more and using the knowledge I’ve gained as I navigate this new role at Covenant.

RL: What are your top takeaways from the program so far?

MH: Classical Christian education does not follow a straight path from Plato to Robert Littlejohn.  There are twists and turns along the way, and our definitions of classical Christian education are not always consistent.  That’s not a bad thing!  Similar to the way we teach our students to engage, this keeps us all at the table, humbly digging in and asking questions going ‘further up and further in!’

RL: And when will you complete the program?

MH: I’ll finish with my thesis/capstone project in May of 2025, just in time for you to read over it and redline all my run-on sentences.

RL: So, I can say that serving Covenant as head of school has been both wonderfully challenging and extremely satisfying. What would you say excites you most about becoming Covenant’s next head of school?

MH: Most of my excitement revolves around the opportunity to collaborate with the Board of Trustees and Administration to advance the efforts and initiatives we’ve begun, including parent engagement and education, a robust professional evaluation cycle, the development of a virtue curriculum, and many others.  In all these efforts, my goal will be to preserve and protect Covenant’s mission, tend the soil in which the roots of Covenant’s culture have been established, and ensure that we continue to do what we say we do.

RL: [Not sure I want to ask this one] I am perhaps most grateful to have had such an amazing leadership team helping me accomplish some great things for Covenant, but there are many things yet to be accomplished. As great as Covenant is, there is always room for improvement. Are there some things that you are hoping to tackle as you step into the head of school role?

MH: Along with the above-mentioned strategic initiatives, a new Grammar building is undoubtedly at the top of my list.  As we reach capacity in enrollment, it’s important to me that we find ways to help our larger community feel smaller and robustly engaged in our Charlotte Mason-inspired classical Christian model.  In the short-term, I’ll be looking for a new Logic School Head, and I’ve heard you’re about to have some time on your hands!  Also, I need a home for Julius, my pet snake.

RL: Well, I couldn’t be more excited about your becoming Covenant’s next head of school. I want to congratulate you, but I also want to congratulate Covenant. I truly believe Covenant’s best years are ahead with you at the helm! God is good!

Non Nobis.