To the Reach and Endeavor School Community, 

It is with great pleasure that I am introducing myself to all of you as the new principal of the Reach/Endeavor School. I look forward to joining an experienced and dedicated team of educators, counselors, and paraprofessionals, who build formative relationships with our students, their families, and the Danbury community.

I am a thirty year veteran special education teacher, having worked in a residential setting for seven years before embarking on my teaching career in the public school system. In addition to my classroom experience, I served as a varsity coach for over thirty years, coaching boys and girls in soccer, lacrosse, basketball, cross country, track, and baseball. For the past three years, I’ve been the Athletic Events Supervisor for Danbury High School, where I managed fifty staff and numerous athletic events.

The mission of the Reach and Endeavor program is to empower students to achieve lifelong success while contributing to a diverse global community by fostering positive relationships, providing individualized attention, and cultivating academic excellence in a comprehensive, nurturing environment. The program supports students by reestablishing positive behavior and academic success, with the goal of transitioning them successfully back into the mainstream setting.

At Reach and Endeavor, our team is committed to meeting our students' needs through a nurturing, inviting, and inclusive environment, where we will challenge them to be the best version of themselves. In partnership with their parents and guardians, we will strive to work collaboratively with all parties to guarantee our students’ success and help them fulfill their dreams, whatever they may be.

Lastly, as I look at what the REACH acronym stands for, R for responsibility, E for education, A for achievement, and C for caring, I want everyone to know that the last letter H stands for Hope, and that is what we will give to all of our students.

I look forward to the opportunity to meet each of you and work together during the 2025-26 school year and beyond.

Sincerely,

Mr. Kersten