“It is not an easy move,” said Sheridan. “(But) the opportunities for growth outside of St. Mike’s are attractive to me at this point, with regards to taking on an entirely new adventure.”

Sheridan replaces Glenn Domina, Northmount’s headmaster since 2009.

St. Michael’s and Northmount are both private Catholic institutions, although Northmount is an elementary school.  That difference brings him back to his roots, said Sheridan.

“I’m actually trained (to teach) Grade 4 to 10, so it takes me back to my roots as a teacher,” said Sheridan, who was St. Michael’s first lay president from 2012 to 2014, as well as the vice-president of curriculum and teacher department.

“He is a model for Catholic education,” said Basilian Father Jeff Thompson, current president of St. Michael’s.

Sheridan’s academic background and versatility since joining the school as a teacher in 1997 is what appealed to Northmount.

“Terry has been a leader in Catholic boys’ education in Toronto for the past 20 years and enjoyed ever-increasing responsibility at St. Michael’s,” said Keith McLearn, chair of Northmount Board of Governors. “While at St. Michael’s, Dr. Sheridan was instrumental in curriculum development, advancing information technology, establishing a learning enrichment centre and implementing policies and procedures for students and staff under crises.”

Sheridan hopes to bring all that to his new school. “I think Northmount is a little gem in the City of Toronto,” he said. “I would like to grow that so that more people know about it and it continues to do the great things that it is doing. Hopefully, that will lead us to some infrastructure changes and some capital buildings.”