Dear UNHS Community,
It is my great pleasure to write you as the principal of University Neighborhood High School. As a parent of a New York City public
school student, I know what it is like to have a multitude of schools to research and choose from. When
I was selecting and ranking schools for my child, the most important
aspects to me were the school’s ratings in positive learning
environment,
school culture, and high expectations. I wanted to know
whether my child would walk into his school every day and be not only
accepted and protected, but also celebrated for who he is. As a principal, I do my best to work with all
stakeholders to model the school around the values and structures that I am looking for as a parent. The school’s successes in these areas can be measured in a myriad of ways. On our recent Quality Review, the school received 8 out
of 10 Well Developed ratings with an area of celebration in Positive Learning Environment. On
the school’s recent survey, 97% of families said that their child is
safe in school; 98% of students said that their teachers respect their
cultural
background; 97% of students said that their teachers represent positive
images of people from a variety of races, ethnicities, cultures and
backgrounds; and 100% of teachers said that they design appropriate
instruction that is matched to student’s needs.
Our positive, inclusive learning environment was also echoed back
to us from our entire school community this past winter when we
conducted a survey asking students, parents, faculty, and staff what
first three words came to mind when they thought of
University Neighborhood High School. The top results were very telling: Diversity, College, Caring, Opportunity, Community, Accepting, and Unity. I could not agree more with those results.
It
is this safe, positive, and supportive school community that allows the
school to be one of the best high schools in New York City for not
only preparing students for college, but providing students early access
to college. The school offers a robust College Now
program where beginning in the spring of students sophomore year, some
students are eligible to begin taking college level
classes and earning both high school and college credits for their
course work right here at University Neighborhood High School. In addition, students can take a number of Advanced Placement courses beginning in 10th
grade, including
but not limited to Mandarin, Spanish, Calculus, Art, and Computer
Science. The 2019 graduating class saw 80.3% of its graduates earning
enough college credits to have one entire semester of college completed
while 30.6% of graduates have completed a full year
of college! Among those graduates’ college acceptances
were such distinguished universities as Yale University, University of
Pennsylvania, New York University, Penn State University, University of
Vermont, and many more (see full College Acceptance
List here)! We have earned or exceeded a 93% graduation
rate the last two years, a 71% College Readiness rate (more than 20%
above citywide average), and 100% of our June 2019 graduates have
applied and been accepted to two- and four- year colleges.
These inclusive school structures, supports, and outstanding
faculty and staff members help make University Neighborhood the #15
ranked High School in New York City according to US News & World
Report 2017.
https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ranked-top-new-york-city-high-schools-article-1.3538531
For students, the road to success begins in the 9th grade year. Students are heterogeneously programmed for the same
challenging courses, providing equal access and opportunity for all students. Students
are supported through a multitude of programs inside and outside of the
school such as Saturday Academy, after-school and lunchtime tutoring, a
concise 4-year
College and Career Readiness Road Map for all students, and top-notch
guidance and counseling services departments. Like my
office door, which is constantly open to students, the school doors are
open to students and families six days a week,
and our online systems such as Jupiter Grades, weekly reminder and
announcement emails each Monday, the bi-monthly school newspaper, the
school’s website, Google Classroom, and Phone Messenger ensure that
families are in constant communication with members
of the school community.
Though we are pleased with the school’s successes, as a school community, we are never satisfied. I will always look at every
aspect of our school through the eyes of a parent, because that is what I am first. I
am constantly asking myself whether aspects of our school will be good
enough for my own children, and if the answer is no, I immediately work
to improve them.
I pride myself on making this a school that my children could attend when they come of high school age. We
will always work diligently to provide the best high school experience
and incredible opportunities for all of our young people at
University Neighborhood.
We
thank you for taking the time to visit us and should you have any
questions or concerns, feel free to call, email, text or walk right
through
the school doors and see us. We are always here to support you in providing the best education possible for your child.
Sincerely,
Matthew Willie
Principal