Having comfortable walking shoes on every day is a necessity, Dorband said, because staying mobile is key to her leadership style. “I like to be out where the students are and where the teachers are because that’s how I understand what’s going on and how I can help support them best.”
She said people are the foundation of everything she does. “I want to be where our people and students are so I can build relationships and get a pulse on what ‘s going on. And I don’t think you can underestimate the value of small, regular conversations with people.”
Her eyes are wide open and always looking for ways to improve the climate and culture for students and staff. So far, she likes what she has seen with students learning to be respectful, giving back to the community and volunteering their time. She said the school has built a culture of character and caring for their community.
“All the different things our students are involved in to give back to the school community and to the greater community - that’s been one of my favorite things I’ve learned about TK so far,” she said.
Some of the culture-building efforts she’s seen so far are the announcements about character and sportsmanship before home competitions, having National Honor Society members take part in the county’s Day of Caring, learning about the annual school-wide Service Day in the spring, and finding out more about student-led clubs like Hope Squad that focus on helping each other.
She also likes getting into classrooms and watching how students are learning.
Dorband appreciates how staff balance academic standards with student experience. “Our teachers strike a wonderful balance between really having rigorous content... and remembering that these years are years where kids build memories,” she noted. “Doing fun things that help them build those core memories of high school is important, too.”
She witnessed the toxic disaster challenge in the high school physics class and has seen innovative lessons and discussions that involve, intrigue and make students think outside the box.
“Listening to them get excited about what the teachers are doing in their classroom, I think is a core memory of high school. It’s those little things that teachers do that really matter and make a difference…You know when students are engaged and it’s fun, they’ll remember doing that and how it applies. And then they’ll remember it when they see it on the test.”
Dorband said it’s important for her to help build systems to support students and teachers. “We are working on bringing alignment across the buildings and then for me, bringing alignment into this building. Strong systems make sure that we take good care of students and teachers. We need to make sure students can get the support they need at the time they need it, but also give teachers our support in the way they need it.”
She’s also interested in finding more pathways for parents to be involved in high school. “I think we have wonderful groups of parents that support the classes and do a lot for our students, but I think it would be amazing if we had a stronger alliance with our parents and provide other pathways where they could get involved in the school community.”
Dorband said she knows there are a variety of skills and talents within the TK community. “Maybe they want to give back in some way and we can let them know there are different pathways they can do that. I would love to see that grow in the future.”
Being a high school principal is a busy, sometimes hectic and sometimes stressful job, but Dorband said she has found a way to balance home and work life.
“One of the things that I really believe strongly in is practicing something called ‘community care.” It just means that we’re creating a culture where people take care of one another. I think what we really need is to be looking out for each other and I try to build that culture wherever I am.”
Dorband said there are three things she measures herself by that have really helped her deal with sometimes overwhelming days.
“I have a tendency to think that if I just work harder, I’ll get the whole to-do list done, but I’m learning to accept that it’s just not going to be done,” Dorband admitted. Instead, she evaluates her impact using three simple metrics: “building strong relationships, having dependable actions that my team and parents can rely on, and having sustainable systems in place.”
Overall, Dorband said it’s been a wonderful start to a new school and a new year. “It’s been such a warm welcome here at TK from everyone and I’m really thankful for that. I think my favorite part is the community feel of the school and I see it in all the events I go to.”
Dorband is looking forward to connecting with more of our school families. If you would like to share your thoughts, ideas, or simply say hello, please feel free to send her an email to set up a time or schedule a Google Meet appointment via this [LINK]. Appointments are set aside for parents on Thursdays from 2:30 to 3:45 p.m. Your input helps make our school community even stronger, and she would love to hear from you.