A Note from Nadia, CRJS Principal

As Romans 1:20 says, "For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."

I've also been learning how to drive on freeways once again, as Brooklyn mostly involves driving through the neighborhood. Lastly, I've been welcomed warmly by the CRJS team and board members. For example, two team members even volunteered to drive me to the airport. I don't think I have ever worked anywhere where colleagues would offer such a gracious gesture. From Steve Hooper telling me that my voice matters to Gaynell Walker taking me to the Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind, and Fire concert, to Paul Hogan being gracious as I learn how to lead like an Ignatian educator, my first few weeks as principal have been so affirming.

Thanks to the warm reception and hospitality extended by everyone, I hit the ground running. We are firmly on track to meet 100% of our academic benchmarks for Q1 for the Network. This entails our initial draft of the 2024-2025 school calendar – special thanks to Becky Wilson for her contribution! – along with a draft outlining the academic vision for our school, and a comprehensive tool that will guide us through the launch of the academic year up until June 2024. In collaboration with VP of Corporate Work Study, Katie Seltzer, we've successfully crafted the first draft of our bell schedule, which we will be presenting at Open House, in addition to our uniform policy.

Last but certainly not least, my recent visit to Cristo Rey Brooklyn last week was engaging and informative. I had the opportunity to observe classroom instruction and learn best practices from their leadership team. I'm genuinely excited to undertake this work alongside each and every one of you, as we commence planning for our Q2 benchmarks.