Principal’s Message
A person of excellence is a positive influencer, a sensitive or empathetic individual and a great communicator. A person of excellence lifts others because they know that they rise when they lift others. A person of excellence is not insecure, and to be excellent does not mean that one has to be perfect. Instead, excellence means that when you do something, you do your very best work. Leadership is defined as a process by which a person influences others to accomplish a common goal and unites those within the community in a way that makes their ability to reach the goal both clear and attainable. Therefore, one who strives towards excellence in leadership is honest, inspiring, intelligent, stands firm for what they believe in, and everything that they are given to do, they do well, decently, and in order.
Our purpose at the Academy for Excellence in Leadership (AEL) is to help our scholars exhibit excellence in everything that they do and to lead with integrity. It is not only our goal to help our students earn their high school diploma, it is also to equip them with the tools that they will need to accomplish this goal and everything that they want to do in their lives. Once they graduate from AEL, whether our scholars wish to pursue a college degree, attend a trade school, go into the military or into the workplace, we want our students to have what they need to pursue the best pathway for themselves.
As a school community, we help our scholars explore these pathways in their courses. At every grade level, we challenge our excellent leaders-in-the-making to think critically and to express themselves creatively in math, science, the humanities, physical education, language, culture, the arts and through our high school work-study program. It is along this journey of academic and self exploration that we compel our students to ask important questions of themselves, their teachers, each other and the content that is being presented to them. We encourage them to assess and evaluate what they are learning, by filtering this information through their unique identities, the cultures they represent, and the perspectives that they have forged as a result of their lived experiences.
We expect our scholars to do their best to use the academic tools we give them to understand themselves, others, and the world around them. We want them to envision how they see themselves and their place in this world. The work that we do each day with every one of our students is extremely important and it is tailored to each student’s distinct academic, social, and emotional learning needs. We do not use a one size fits all approach with the scholars with whom we are entrusted. We understand and realize that every one of our students has their own story to tell, their own perspectives of the world around them, and their own journeys to travel.
Therefore, we take our time to build relationships with our students and their parents. By getting to know them, we learn how best to assist and guide them along the way. This requires a great deal of time, patience, and commitment on our part. It also requires that our students and parents partner with us and help us help them. An old African proverb reminds us that it takes a village to raise a child, and we understand that we are merely part of a much larger village. It is our hope and desire to influence our students in such a way that they choose paths that lead to the best possible outcomes for their lives.
All we ask is for our students and parents to trust us, to know that we have their best interest at heart. We see every member of the AEL community as an excellent leader. Our students deserve the best instruction, the best direction, and the best guidance so that they can do everything in excellence and be amazing leaders in every area of their lives.
Warmly,
ChántAndréa Blissett
Principal
A Message to Parents, Guardians, and Family Members
A Message to Parents, Guardians, and Family Members The Academy for Excellence in Leadership is a college and career preparatory high school. We believe in creating home-school partnerships and finding ways to meet and support your needs! Active parental involvement is essential to the success of our school. Parents/guardians are invited to visit classes, and/or volunteer to assist the school in various ways. Please contact our Parent Coordinator, if you are interested in volunteer opportunities. Our students are expected to be present and on time every day. We have included the NYC school calendar and encourage you to monitor your child’s attendance. We will periodically provide you with information about school activities and your child’s progress through letters, telephone calls and via email.
Message from the Principal
On behalf of the staff, I take pleasure in welcoming you to the Academy for Excellence in Leadership (AEL). This handbook is intended to familiarize you with our school and give you important information that will help you to be successful while you are here. Please read it thoroughly. Each day as you come to school, I want you to be a LEADER, which stands for Loving, Empowered, Altruistic, Driven, Enthusiastic and a Role Model. We look forward to working with you to make this year a successful one.