Dr. Aurora Loufek, one of the assistant prinicipals of Edison High School, has extensive experience with education, both in and outside EHS. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and English, and recently completed her dissertation and received her doctorate. Using this experience, she comes into school focused on forging relationships with the senior class and working with Mr. Charles Ross and the other school administrators in crafting decisions and policies that empower students and teachers.
Between her experience at EHS and then previously in Newark, Loufek has served as teacher, supervisor, and administrator. No matter her role, however, students are the focus.
“I definitely loved the amount of interaction I had with kids as a teacher and then as supervisor working with teachers, and here I feel like it’s a good blend of both worlds,” said Loufek.
She feels as though this current year is the most fulfilling for her, as the school welcomes another new assistant principal in, Mr. Matthew Zapoticzny, which has allowed her to work more closely with the senior class than she previously had.
While she intended to only teach for a year, getting to work with teenagers was something that grew on her, and motivated her to continue.
She believes there’s no such thing as a “typical day” for her, as anything can come unexpectedly. Sometimes she might have observations and might receive a sudden call about a student, she might need to meet with Ross, or she might need to meet with teachers and staff. Every day comes with its own challenges, which she believes she can never really prepare for.
Arrive at school between 6:00 a.m. to 6:45 a.m., she starts work writing reports and looking at attendance. Then, she’ll usually spend her time working with students on disciplinary issues. A major focus for her this year is on students who are late. She meets with every senior who is late for the first time and explains what the disciplinary procedures are.
“Being late senior year comes with a lot of consequences,” said Loufek.
Given the unpredictability of her job, she has learned to priority tasks.
“I am super organized. I think that has always been the case, and I’m a really good time manager. I create lists, I make sure I go through them,” said Loufek.
Loufek maintains an open-door policy— where anyone can come into her office without needing to schedule an appointment, and very rarely turns anyone away.
“I can count on one hand the number of times I do that in any given year,” she said. When she was a teacher, she allowed students into her classroom during lunch or free periods to work with them. If there’s a situation regarding the well being of a student, she will put whatever she’s doing on hold and attend to the student.
Loufek believes it’s important to build good rapport with students.
“I focus on creating relationships with students and staff, and part of that is having an open door—that they can come in and talk to me.”
During her tenure at Edison High, she’s accumulated many fond memories to look back on. However, the graduation ceremony of 2019 is one of the most memorable experiences she’s had. This was the first class she had since their freshman year and had gotten to know many of them personally.
“I had established such strong relationships with so many of them, that seeing them on stage and graduating, knowing a lot of their stories, it made it really emotional for me,” she said.
She believes this upcoming graduation will be another emotional moment for her, as COVID defined their freshman year, and she’s also seen them grow over four years and has had them for a long time.
To those who seek to make an impact at Edison High and in the community, Loufek has some helpful words.
Loufek encourages students to explore their passions and join clubs and organizations that align with their interests. In the process, they can meet new people who are similarly minded.
“I really want every student to feel like they are a part of this community,” said Loufek. “And I think the only way you get there is if you start putting yourself out there a little bit.”