Letter From the Head of School
Welcome to Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School!
It is with great excitement and pride that I introduce myself as the 16th Head of School of this storied institution. Since our founding in 1764 by King’s College, now Columbia University, we have grown from a small classroom with one teacher and a few students into the oldest nonsectarian independent school in the United States and a leader in student-centered education. For over two and a half centuries, we have built a tradition of excellence, with our graduates — including Moby Dick author Herman Melville, Nobel laureate Murray Gell-Mann and current New York Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns — making remarkable contributions across many different fields.
Our students today continue this proud tradition, embracing challenges with curiosity. Whether they are exploring logical thinking and problem solving in our nationally acclaimed chess program, formulating and articulating cogent arguments in a mock trial inspired by The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time or making bold discoveries in our Advanced Science Research program, the spirit of inquiry and ingenuity thrives on our Upper West Side campus.
Over the years, CGPS has evolved to meet the changing needs of our students, while we remain steadfast in our commitment to creating a vigorous learning environment that sparks intellectual curiosity, encourages innovative thinking and inspires excellence both inside and outside the classroom. Each day, our dedicated faculty and staff work to provide a balanced educational experience tailored to meeting each child’s unique needs and supporting their academic, social and emotional development. From pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade, we are energized by our shared belief that students reach their full potential when they feel a deep sense of purpose, joy and self-satisfaction in their learning journey.
I am delighted to welcome you to our community! If you have any questions or would like to learn more about CGPS, please do not hesitate to reach out to our Admissions Office at admissions@cgps.org. We look forward to connecting with you!
Sincerely,
Rey Fernández
Head of School
Head of School's Office
Oshrit Azoulay
Executive Assistant to the Head of School Office and Board of Trustees
212.749.6200 x202
Biography
Rey Fernández has more than two decades of educational leadership experience and served as Assistant Head of School with CGPS from 2020 to 2026. In this role, Mr. Fernández led the academic program and strategic initiatives for CGPS. Among his many contributions, he led the School through the rigorous NYSAIS accreditation process and was the key architect of the operations plan for the School’s COVID response and campus protocols that allowed students to be back on campus together as quickly as possible. Mr. Fernández holds a Bachelor of Arts in computer science from Harvard University, and an MBA from the prestigious Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. While his academic and professional pursuits have taken him around the country, he is a proud New Yorker and a graduate of Riverdale Country School.