2014-2015 Blackboard Award Honoree: Dr. Richard Soghoian

Editor’s note: To read a long-form story with profiles of all 15 2014-2015 Blackboard Awards honorees, click HERE!

COLUMBIA GRAMMAR AND PREPARATORY SCHOOL
PRINCIPAL: DR. RICHARD SOGHOIAN
PK-12
5 West 93rd Street
cgps.org

Dr. Richard Soghoian. Photo by Andrew Schwartz

AWARD: OUTSTANDING PRINCIPAL

Describe your school’s core educational philosophy.

Our outstanding core of teachers forms the foundation of our pedagogical success. From pre-Kindergarten all the way through the high school years, our talented, kind, and energetic faculty reflect our belief that personality and patience are equally valuable as intellectual strengths in educating the whole child. Immersed in the nurturing and vibrant environment of CGPS, our students excel academically, socially, and emotionally to become confident and creative life-long learners. We are also strongly committed to supporting various differences by recognizing and appreciating learning styles, interests, abilities, and personal strengths.

Tell us about a few of the school’s achievements or distinguishing programs.

Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School has grown in dramatic ways over the last three decades, with many notable achievements along the way. We have tripled our enrollment to become, along with Dalton, the largest school in Manhattan. Our physical plant has grown from 36,000 substandard square feet to over 200,000 new or fully-renovated square feet. We are able to provide over $6.2 million in financial aid on a yearly basis, and we have the highest starting teacher salaries among all schools, public or private. We have a physical plant valued to $300 million today with no debt whatsoever! And lastly, we have had the only and oldest program within the larger school program for bright, learning-disabled children—the Learning Resource Center. None of these children, without this program, would have been able to complete a highly rigorous college preparatory program and move on to college after graduation. We have on average 65 out of 1,300 students in the Learning Resource Center each year.

What’s new?

We have just had yet another capital project approved by NYC, giving us 17,000 additional square feet of space. This building will house our new middle school.

What do you love about your school?

First and foremost, I have deeply enjoyed being part of CGPS’s growth and renewal over the past three-and-a-half decades. We were able to celebrate this past year our 250th year of continuous existence as a college preparatory school in New York City… We can all take pride in the fact that we are now one of the most successful and sought-after schools in NYC. And, as any head of a K-12 school can attest, watching children grow and develop from Kindergarten to graduation and then off to college is a uniquely rewarding and fulfilling experience.

The École

At The &Eacute;cole, we believe that the goal of education is to develop well-informed, well-rounded, responsible, and compassionate students who can create and connect to a world filled with possibilities. This belief is at the heart of our uniquely designed bilingual program, in which students learn not just to speak, read, and write in two languages but also to think, feel, and act in ways informed by two cultures. To always see, explore, and understand the world around them from two perspectives is the gift of the deeply bi-literate, bi-cultural student. Artfully blending the curriculum requirements and pedagogical approaches of the French and American systems, our native-speaking faculty create rich academic environments for a diverse, international student body. From Maternelle through Middle School, students at The &Eacute;cole are guided through the core language arts, social studies, math, and sciences content, as well as character and cultural enrichment in both French and English for all subjects. In our intimate classroom settings or out and about in New York City&rsquo;s many artistic and historical institutions, using traditional and technology-based techniques, our teachers aspire to provide individual and group bilingual learning opportunities that engage, challenge, and inspire.

Xaverian High School

A private, co-educational Catholic college preparatory school for grades 6&ndash;12 located in Bay Ridge. Giving students the opportunity to grow in their faith, intellect, leadership skills, musical passions, athletic talents, and much more, in the long standing tradition of the Xaverian Brothers.

The Long Island School For The Gifted

A smart start of an educational journey.&nbsp; For over 40 years, The Long Island School For The Gifted has provided an accelerated experience for gifted children in pre-kindergarten through ninth grade, in a nurturing environment where they will be both intellectually challenged and comfortable socially. LISG helps gifted students develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies needed for life. Emotional, and social needs of the gifted child are addressed whilst building strong character as part of the commitment to developing the whole gifted child. The beauty of an independent gifted school like LISG is that students can learn and grow with others who are like them.&nbsp; We have found that LISG&rsquo;s whole-school approach to gifted education has benefitted our students both more broadly and more deeply than alternative approaches&mdash;like isolated &ldquo;enrichment&rdquo; activities, single accelerated classes, or simply placing exceptionally intelligent children with older students in higher-grade classes.&nbsp; With gifted peers, students learn in a cooperative environment that provides for their social and emotional development and in which giftedness is valued and nurtured by every teacher and staff member in the school. &nbsp;LISG has rolling admissions. Availability is limited based on the grade.&nbsp; Contact them today.