New Trier To Rename Building After Late Principal

From New Trier Township High School: On Wednesday, Sept. 6, the B Building at New Trier High School's Northfield Campus will be renamed the Jan Borja Building, honoring the former principal who spearheaded the reopening of the former New Trier West as a freshman-only campus in 2001.

Community members, parents, students and staff are invited to a dedication ceremony and celebration of Borja's life and her contributions to New Trier beginning at 4 p.m. with a name unveiling outside the main entrance to the B Building, followed by a ceremony and reception in the B Building Student Commons.
Borja, known by colleagues as the "heart and soul of New Trier," retired in 2011 after spending four decades as a teacher and leader at New Trier. She passed away in February 2012 following a lengthy battle with cancer.

Borja began her career at New Trier in 1970 teaching German and Spanish and soon took on leadership roles, including Girls' Adviser Chair and Modern and Classical Languages Department Chair. A tireless advocate for educating the whole child, Borja became the first principal of the Northfield Campus, where she led a team of faculty and staff in developing a combination of curriculum, student services and transition services designed specifically for 14-year-old students.

"Jan Borja spent each day modeling the words of the New Trier motto: 'To commit minds to inquiry, hearts to compassion and lives to the service of humanity,'" said New Trier Superintendent Paul Sally. "She and her team created an environment that recognizes the unique characteristics of our freshman students, and they have flourished because of it. Jan also was a friend and mentor to everyone she met, ready with thoughtful advice, an encouraging word or, very often, a hug. It is more than fitting to name this building in her honor."
Borja was also a central force in integrating service learning into the Northfield Campus curriculum and addressing the social-emotional growth of students through anti-bullying programs.

The Board of Education unanimously approved the naming of the building in May after former colleagues submitted a naming proposal and numerous letters of support. The B Building includes classrooms, offices for campus administration and the Modern and Classical Languages Department, the New Trier Child Care Center and New Trier Extension.

Photo via New Trier Township High School