About Us
It is with pleasure and pride that we offer you this brief introduction to Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School. As you might know, we are one of the oldest institutions in America, with a long and notable tradition of excellence as a college preparatory school. At the same time, we are a very modern school, with beautiful and spacious new buildings, and a curriculum which is comprehensive and appropriate to the needs of children in the 21st century.The quality of our teachers and our academic program are the keys to our success as a school. Over the past decade, we have developed an outstanding core of teachers whose energy, enthusiasm and love of learning are reflected in every aspect of school life. While all of our teachers have strong academic backgrounds with a variety of intellectual strengths, we place great importance on temperament and character: teachers who have the warmth of personality and the patience not only to educate but to help each child develop a sense of self-worth and confidence. It is important to note that we have one of the lowest student/faculty ratios of any school in New York City, less than 7 to 1, creating an atmosphere of small classes and personal attention to each child's needs.
Also critical to our success as a school is our physical plant. In the last decade we have opened two new buildings with the finest facilities to be found anywhere, from a state-of-the-art theater to computer and science labs, five art studios, including filmmaking and photography, our third library, and a host of other academic areas that give us an enviable amount of academic space for all of our children and programs PK through 12.
Our new and expanded facilities have in turn allowed us to create an enriched and exciting curriculum. While our requirements and expectations in the traditional areas of English, history, math, science and foreign languages are demanding, as is expected of a college preparatory program, our offerings in art, music and theater, along with an extensive physical education and athletic program, allow us to develop all aspects of a child's interests and talents.
As a school, we are firmly committed to a coeducational setting, believing that boys and girls learn more effectively and successfully together-not separately. Our coeducational setting provides an appropriate environment to meet the social and emotional needs of a wholesome variety of children and, at the same time, we offer a rigorous academic program to appeal to their intellectual curiosities. The school atmosphere allows for differences by recognizing and appreciating various learning styles, interests, abilities, and personal strengths.
I hope you will give us the pleasure of showing you and your child how Columbia maintains its tradition of excellence today. We look forward to your visit.
Sincerely,
Dr. Richard J. Soghoian
Headmaster