To the editor:
On behalf of the Englewood Public School District, I would like to introduce myself to the parents, guardians, staff, students and community members of the City of Englewood.
I have been blessed to be appointed as Principal of Dwight Morrow High School. I am very excited to join this diverse and invested educational community. I have had the opportunity to start my work here on July 1, affording me the chance to learn a lot about our school and the communities to which it serves. I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with a great and dedicated administrative staff, and I believe that with time, consistent effort, and positive and progressive work, we can continue to help Dwight Morrow High School grow as a vibrant, diverse and academically successful school. I understand the importance of a rigorous, supportive and high-quality education for our students, and am fully-committed to establishing this expectation here as the year progresses.
As a 15-year educator, my professional goal has always been to become a principal. I started my career in education in 2004 at Xavier High School in New York City. During my time at Xavier, I was fortunate to not only be a teacher of biology and chemistry on the honors-level, but also held other influential roles as a new teacher mentor and assistant dean of students. During this time, I was able to pursue my master’s degree in school building leadership at St. John’s University. I was afforded the opportunity in 2011 to help build a high school in Stamford, Conn., by the name of The Stanwich School. While at Stanwich, I held the roles of dean of students and science department chair, along with teaching a full load of classes consisting of biology, chemistry and physics. I left Stanwich to become an honors biology teacher at Bergen Technical High School in Teterboro, where I served for five years. I accepted a role as the district supervisor of science (K-12) in the summer of 2017 with Orange Public Schools, and quickly ascended to the role of vice principal at the STEM Academy in John F. Kennedy Educational Complex in Paterson. I now hold the distinguished role of Principal at our amazing school while pursuing my Doctorate in Education at St. Peter’s University.
I am very passionate about education, and, in turn, am also passionate about teaching, learning and community. My goals for this upcoming year involve improving student engagement, enhancing communication in the high school and with the communities we serve, and providing teachers with the support they need to provide our students with an exceptional, safe and nurturing educational experience. You can trust that I will do everything I can to make sure that Dwight Morrow High School is a school that pursues and expects excellence from staff and students, parents and guardians, community members and leaders. Together, we can make Dwight Morrow High School a school that promotes excellence and success for our students, both in and out of the classroom. I look forward to becoming a part of the Englewood Community, and seeing all of our parents and community stakeholders at school-sponsored events.