This Curtis school year started of slightly different than usual when Mr. Greg Jaenicke took over as principal. This change occurred as a result of Dr. Aurelia Curtis’ retirement in June.

Although unfamiliar to most students, Jaenicke is not a stranger to the school; he was a math teacher here from 1998 to 2003. Since then, he has worked in numerous schools around New York City. “Every time I had a chance to go into a school, I was noticing the great things that were happening and all the protocols the schools put in place. Every school was unique so it gave me a chance to think about what kinds of things that I saw across different levels,” stated Jaenicke.

Jaenicke plans to use this experience to point Curtis in the right direction.“I think what I really want to focus on in the short term is building the collaborative atmosphere in the Curtis community. All working towards the same goal of producing successful Curtis graduates,” explained Jaenicke. “We have lots of projects going on including the expansion that’s on the horizon. I’m really excited about continuing Dr. Curtis’ vision. I am looking forward to seeing how it will turn out and what it will do for the school.”

Despite this major change to the school and the possibility of change in the future, Jaenicke expects to maintain some of Dr. Curtis’ primary lessons. “There are a lot of systems that Dr. Curtis had put in place that brought Curtis to great, new heights in its 100 year history. I know her focus on achievement, attendance, and attitude is something that has had a lot of momentum, so continuing that is going to be a priority.”

Jaenicke is already building off feedback from the students, trying to make himself seen during arrival and dismissal times as much as he can. “It’s really about the spirit and the enthusiasm that students come to Curtis with. We want to take advantage of that and channel that in the right way so that they’re really getting the most out of their experience at Curtis.”

What Jaenicke mainly wants to accomplish is to encourage students to get involved and find something that motivates them. He wishes to promote the idea that there could never been too much enthusiasm as a student. “If you’re not moving forward, you might as well be moving back. We need to  continue to work on achievement and improving our graduation rate. I think it’s in a really good place right now, but you always want a vision of moving forward, you always want to improve.”

       “Nobody is perfect, no school is perfect so I think when you pay attention to student achievement we can work on that. We want to focus on the culture of the school and make sure it’s a welcoming environment for everyone. First, for students so that they can feel it’s a place they’re safe and people know them. Then of course for the staff. Students and staff spend so much time here that we want to make sure that we’re really a positive environment,” explained Jaenicke.