Dear Parents,
My name is Vikram Arora, and I am writing to you today as your newly appointed principal. While our Superintendent, Dr. Davenport, sent in an introductory letter, a few parents suggested I formally introduce myself to the wider parent body. I think it is a good idea, and hopefully, this introduction will trigger many more productive communications between all school stakeholders.
I want to start by saying how excited I am to join the Columbia Secondary School [CSS] community. It has been just two work weeks since I joined as the principal, and I already have a good sense of the challenges our school faces and opportunities that beckon our community.
My last employment was at Bronx High School of Science, where I was the mathematics and computer science department chairperson. Before this, I was an Instructional lead at a high-need school in the South Bronx. While the circumstances at these two locations were diametrically opposite, I have learned that a collaborative culture, a strong sense of purpose, and the kindling of intrinsic motivation in students and staff improve things no matter the starting point.
I remain optimistic about our ability to work collaboratively to ensure that our students receive the best education possible. My priorities in the last two weeks have been twofold. I have focused on learning as much as possible about the school. I have also tried to develop trusting relations with the faculty and staff. This institutional information and the collaborative ties will hopefully help propel CSS to higher levels.
I also want to implore you to participate in the ongoing student learning survey. The survey link is here. Your feedback is critical to us and will help us understand what we are doing well and what areas we need to improve. We want to ensure that our students are being served well in their respective learning environments, and your participation in the survey will help us to achieve this.
Furthermore, I want to emphasize the importance of your support, collaboration, and patience as we embark on this journey together. We are all learning and growing, and we will undoubtedly have our highs and lows along the way. But with your help and support, we can work towards creating a safe, nurturing, and welcoming environment for our students.
In conclusion, I want to express my excitement about the opportunities for us as a school community. I look forward to getting to know you and your children better and working to achieve our shared goals.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Best regards,
Vikram Arora
Principal
Columbia Secondary School for Math Science and Engineering.