100 Days - A Message From Principal Marwah
December 8, 2023
Dear LaGuardia Community,
Today marks my 100th day as Principal of LaGuardia High School. My first official day was August 31st, and each day since has brought celebrations, challenges, opportunities to learn, and great pride.
As I write this letter, I hear the music from the lobby where our Fine Arts students welcome families and friends to the spectacular Semi-Annual Art Show. Last night, our all-school musical, The Addams Family, opened to an audience captivated by the talent and dedication of the cast and crew members. This week, I was stunned by the focus and talent of our Dance students as they invited families to see their progress. Last week, I heard the LaGuardia Wind Symphony play for hundreds of music educators attending the New York State School Music Association conference in Rochester, NY. They were celebrated with a long-standing ovation and many compliments from educators who had only heard of LaGuardia.
As I started 100 days ago, I have been fortunate to engage with community members through General PA meetings, Studio PA meetings, townhalls, Coffee & Donuts events, SGO meetings, Academic Forum meetings, conversations at Art Shows, UFT Consultative Committee meetings, administrative cabinet meetings, pre-concert connections, and casual discussions on 65th street. I have learned much about our community values and ways to collaborate and continue enhancing LaGuardia's longstanding tradition of excellence.
This information enabled me to identify immediate priorities and key mid- and long-term goals. These include:
- Increase student achievement through effective professional learning for all faculty, staff, and administrators
- Improve trust and confidence through clear and frequent communication
- Establish a supportive, positive school climate and culture
- Increase the overall effectiveness of our organization
Since starting at LaGuardia, I’ve strived to be present in the community and hands-on as a leader to ensure we continue to meet the above goals. Here are some updates to the goals which we are working towards:
- We are reviewing instructional practices to increase student engagement. This includes social and emotional learning and connecting our students to outside opportunities.
- We have significantly increased our communications with the LaGuardia community through weekly newsletters and ongoing relevant updates. We also host monthly Donuts & Coffee meetings organized by our Parent Coordinator; we are increasing tools for learning and connections (Jupiter Grades) and are constantly reviewing and improving communication protocols through our Revise, Repair, Restore committee. (More information about communication will be shared in the upcoming weeks)
- The School Leadership Team has started reviewing the Comprehensive Education Plan for LaGuardia High School to ensure it is a meaningful document used to implement change and increase the overall student experience for all learners.
- Finally, we will continue highlighting student success stories on our website, weekly communications, and social media (follow us on Instagram @LaGuardia.Arts).
I look forward to the next 100 days! As always, thank you for participating in this work and helping ensure LaGuardia remains one of the best schools in New York City!
Best Regards,
Deepak Marwah
Principal