Mike Horton to lead new British School South Loop Campus

The British School of Chicago Welcomes 

New Principal to the Lincoln Park Campus

Founding headmaster Mike Horton will lead the new South Loop campus

CHICAGO — Jan. 20, 2015 — The British School of Chicago, a vibrant international school for children ages 3-18, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mel Curtis as principal of the Lincoln Park campus. Founding British School of Chicago headmaster Mike Horton will lead the school’s new campus in the South Loop, which is opening in September.

A passionate educator, Curtis brings to the British School of Chicago more than 15 years of expertise in strategic educational leadership, with international experience at schools in her native England, as well as France and the United Arab Emirates. Prior to joining the British School of Chicago, she led academic integration at Ecole des Roches, one of France’s most prestigious private schools, and has been the head teacher at elite primary and K-12 schools in the United Kingdom, Europe and the Middle East. Curtis’ highly successful track record includes expertise in quality assurance, increased student attainment, student-centered learning and curriculum development. She is also experienced in leading efforts to ensure teachers are proficient in enhancing the learning environment through the use of technology and the virtual world. Under Curtis’ leadership schools have been deemed “outstanding” by external education and inspection authorities.

“Mel’s excellent strategic leadership skills and talent for creating innovative education programs will be a significant asset to the British School of Chicago,” Horton said. “Her philosophy that learning should be a unique experience to engender curiosity is on par with the British School’s personalized learning approach, which focuses on the individual learning style of each child.”

South Loop campus under construction

“I am truly inspired by the British School of Chicago’s emphasis on individualized and interactive learning to provide students the tools they need to achieve their academic goals,” said Curtis. “I am excited to work with such a talented team, which has created a successful educational environment and cultivated a true love of learning in students.”

Under Horton’s leadership, the British School of Chicago has grown from 12 students to more than 800 since opening in 2001. All students will benefit from the opportunities available at both campuses under the collaborative direction of Horton and Curtis.

About the British School of Chicago

The British School of Chicago is a vibrant independent, private school that follows an acclaimed international curriculum with a personalized approach to learning for over 800 children ages 3-18. Located on two campuses, in Chicago’s Lincoln Park and South Loop, British School of Chicago belongs to the family of 31 Nord Anglia Education schools around the world. For more information, please visit the school website here.

Top Posts of 2013

Hard to believe another year has come and gone in the South Loop, but it has. What were some of the things on our minds during 2013? Following are the top-ten posts which reflect a small portion of what was of interest to our friends and neighbors. Here we go, starting with number 10 at the top.

Strikers at the Congress Hotel

10. Strike at Congress Hotel ends after ten years—It was hard for some of us to believe that this strike was over. It was practically a tourist attraction. As long as we’ve been in the South Loop there was a strike in front of the landmark hotel, but it ended in May of 2013.

9. The Burger Point Delivers—Food and restaurants are always popular topics for us in the South Loop. So when a neighborhood favorite announced that they would now deliver, it was big news. Hmm, I think I want “The Gobbler” delivered to my door right now!

8. Creepy or Art: “Borders” Sculpture Installation in Grant Park—This was a fun post. This art installation just south of the Art Institute had a lot of people talking. It reminded us of the 1950s science fiction classic  The Day The Earth Stood Still, but art is in the eyes of the beholder.

Creepy or art?

7. British School to delay opening—The British are coming! The British School that is. Somewhat of a controversy when announced, the British School will be building an opening a new campus at the Roosevelt Collection.

6. No neighborhood school for the South Loop—When the new campus for Jones College Prep was announced, many had hoped the older campus would become an open-enrollment neighborhood school. It was not meant to be.

5. Wabash Arts Corridor Crawl—Modern and contemporary art lovers found this event interesting and fun thanks to the participation of several local colleges and universities and neighborhood organizations in the South Loop.

4. Kai Sushi Opens Friday in the South Loop—Once again, a new restaurant opening got the attention of South Loop residents. Kai Sushi opened in July in the former Donna’s Café space.

3. A Walk Through Time on the “Sunny Street of the Sifted Few”—This annual fund raiser for the Glessner House Museum is a popular event and attacks crowds from all over Chicago and Illinois. It’s a once-a-year chance to peek inside some of the remaining mansions from the glory days of Prairie Avenue.

The Kimball House

2. “Mildred Pierce”: 4th Film in “High Heels and Fedoras” series at Daystar Center May 14, 2013—This popular film noir classic garnered a lot of attention. The Chicago Film Club features classic Hollywood movies viewed on the big screen with discussion afterwards.

1. South Loop Suicide Attempt Thwarted—It was hard to miss this event if you were commuting to work along S. Michigan Ave. on Friday, June 7, 2013. A man threatening to jump from 1250 S. Michigan Ave. caused road closures and traffic reroutes. South Loop Connection took some heat for covering this story, but it was news, with plenty of media on the scene. 

There were many stories from 2013 that didn’t make the top-ten here, but that doesn’t mean they were less important. What do you think were the top stories in the South Loop for 2013?

British School to delay opening

According to a recent article in the Gazette, the British School’s South Loop Campus has been pushed back to 2015. The British School, a part of the WCL schools network, has merged with Nord Anglia Education. The merger will result in a total of 25 schools operating in 11 countries.

The planned site for the school is just north of the Roosevelt Collection on Roosevelt Rd. A 2.2 acre public park was part of the original Roosevelt Collection plan, which has resulted in some debate among the South Loop Community. According to the Gazette, “The current approved plans for the South Loop British School include a two-story building with a rooftop park, a recreational field to the west, and a smaller park just north of the proposed school building.”

To read the complete Gazette article, click here.

Artist rendering of British School's South Loop campus