After seven years as superintendent, I find myself thinking back not just on the work, but on the extraordinary sense of place and belonging I’ve experienced here.
Vashon is unlike anywhere else, where being a school leader means also being part of the everyday rhythm of the island: clearing blackberries and holly, running dock to dock (and eventually dock to dock to dock), watching a first-run film at the Vashon Theatre, and forgetting birthday presents — only to be saved by the Vashon Pharmacy.
It’s meant kayaking during the summer out at Jensen Point, cold plunges at KVI, beers at Camp Colvos, and dinners at May Kitchen. It’s meant end-of-year field days with bouncy houses and sack races (and this year, an Orca!), and listening to preschoolers outside my window, when I know the school year has truly begun.
I’ve had the profound joy of handing each of my sons their diplomas and the quiet joy of watching my amazing wife tend her dahlias and peonies. I’ve proudly watched our student board reps grow stronger in voice each year at the Washington State School Directors’ Association, celebrated with the school district’s cross country and SEAL swim team families, and said goodbye to kids in buses with pom-poms alongside kindergarten teachers on the last day of school.
This island teaches you that leadership is rooted in community and “showing up.” I’ve been privileged to work alongside dedicated educators, staff, and community partners who deliver on our Vashon Promise.
Whether on the ferry with our commuter kids, or running into staff and families at Thriftway or IGA, I’ve never just been “the superintendent.” I’ve been part of something bigger. Vashon has been more than a chapter in my career. It’s been, and will continue to be, a part of my life.
With sincere gratitude,
Dr. Slade McSheehy
Slade McSheehy is the outgoing superintendent of the Vashon Island School District. His final day with the district is June 30, after which he will lead the Bremerton School District. Interim Vashon Island School District Superintendent Dr. Josephine (Jo) Moccia begins her job July 1.
