My name is Nickia Burgess and I am delighted and honored to write to you as the new Principal of PS/IS 180! All roads that I have traveled have led me here today and what better time to join PS 180’s great community of students, parents, and educators than now. Our goal is to provide successful school experiences in a safe, collaborative, and nurturing setting which cannot be accomplished without you! So, I ask you to join me on this journey as we prepare our students for their college and career choices.

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Here’s a little bit about me: I was born and raised in Harlem and I am deeply committed to this community. As a former District 3 parent, I fondly remember many of my sons’ teachers and the wonderful lifelong lessons they taught us along the way. My sons were fortunate to have loving teachers and other staff members in the school who expressed genuine concern for them and their fellow students. The examples of love and commitment from those teachers propelled students to become successful and contributing members of society. Those same teachers motivated me to enter the field of education and discover my passion for educating students. Over the span of 21 years, I have served in evolving roles as a Parent, Teacher, Coach, and Leader in District 3. I served as a learning leader school volunteer, PTA Member, and SLT Member before moving into the positions of classroom teacher, instructional coach for ELA and Social Studies content areas, and as an Assistant Principal.

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I am passionate about providing successful school experiences for all students. As a result of my work with children over the years in various capacities, I adopted a vision for school improvement that is largely based on the belief that all children have the ability to achieve educational success if provided with the appropriate supports in a collaborative, nurturing environment. This environment encompasses all members of the school community working together including families, educators and community stakeholders.

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I look forward to partnering with you as we work to help our children continue to make progress toward being academically, socially, emotionally, and physically healthy youngsters. My desire is to see all our students leave New York City public schools with a smile on their faces and lifelong memories of great educational experiences in their hearts. Certainly, our collaborative efforts will help our students reach tremendous success.

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In closing, I am honored and humbled to serve as the new Principal for PS/IS 180 Hugo Newman Preparatory School and look forward to meeting all stakeholders. I am committed to building relationships and connecting with all members of our inclusive learning community. My door is always open to you, and I sincerely welcome your input and support. I am excited about all we will accomplish together for our children and look forward to celebrating our collective success this school year.