August 10, 2012

Dear Parents, Students and Community Members,

On behalf of the Board of Trustees and staff, we extend a warm welcome to the 2012-13 school year!  We look forward to our continued collaboration with you and our dedicated community organizations in offering an excellent educational program for all Sonoma Valley Unified School District (SVUSD) students.

As many of you are aware, our district vision includes a focus on all students being college and career ready upon graduation from high school.  We know that in order for students to reach this goal we start with our youngest learners. Our interim goals along the way include:

• completing a 1-2 year quality pre-school experience
• reading at grade level by the end of third grade
• mastering English proficiency by the end of fifth grade
• readiness to successfully complete college prep course work by ninth grade

We are currently in the process of developing an updated strategic plan which, in part, addresses each of these interim goals for the district and we thank all those students, parents, staff and community members who generously gave of their time to complete surveys and/or participate in focus groups.

Schools start on August 15^th, and staff is eagerly waiting to see familiar faces as well as meet new students and families. Parents at our middle schools and high school will have already received our annual parent notifications handbook and elementary students will receive handbooks on the first day of school to bring home to parents. If you need additional assistance please contact your school office or call the district office (935-4246). You may also reach the district office via e-mail at ljuricich@sonomavly.k12.ca.us.

Summer Activities and Accomplishments

Thank you to the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation for assisting the district in securing funds from community members as well as The Vadasz Family Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, The Sonoma Valley Fund, an affiliate of the Community Foundation Sonoma County and The Todd Trust to assist with Summer School Learning Opportunities:

• JumpStart Kindergarten for our youngest learners who have not previously attended pre-school – at our elementary school campuses
• Third Grade Reading Academy which was attended by 80 students focused on supporting students to read at grade level  
• Transitions Summer School, an intervention and enrichment program for students transitioning from elementary to middle school and from middle to high school
• Algebra Boot Camp offered to any interested incoming 9^th grade student
• Middle School Summer Jam Band Camp (free for all interested musicians who participated!) which served over 40 students

Modeling what we do best – teaching and learning – over 80 educators participated in numerous professional learning opportunities throughout the summer, thanks in large part to the generous donations from our community.  Teachers learned more about Common Core Standards (what children are expected to learn and know in each classroom), integrating science and language (The Exploratorium Project), Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) integration (for our new Engineering, Design and Technology Pathway at Sonoma Valley High School) and much, much more! Educators are excited about sharing their new learning with both their students and colleagues.

Community Support

The district continues to focus on our valued community partnerships in bringing the best possible educational opportunities to our students. The Sonoma Valley Education Foundation is providing tremendous support to our schools with a variety of effective programs including Teacher Support Network (community members supporting high school students and teachers by volunteering in classrooms, and assisting with Senior Projects), The Sonoma Schools Garden Project (school gardens provide veggies for our cafeterias, plus hands-on lessons in science and nutrition – actual living classrooms!), The Exploratorium Project (integrating science and language learning at all elementary schools) and Preschool for All (an expanding program for kindergarten readiness). In addition to serving our elementary and middle school level students, including the After School Education and Safety Program (at five of our schools), The Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley will continue their focus on increasing the number of students in our community who apply to and gain entrance into college. 10,000 Degrees will have 26 students in their program this year at SVHS with an overall program and scholarship commitment of $728,000 from high school through college completion. The Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance is currently supporting over 450 students with mentors! 

We are also extremely fortunate to have continued strong relationships with the CommonBond Foundation, La Luz Center, Nuestra Voz, Plein Air, Sonoma Community Center, Sonoma Ecology Center, Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, Sonoma Valley Teen Services, The Sonoma Valley High School Development Trust and WillMar Family Grief and Healing Center.  We are also excited about the opportunities which our service organizations have provided to the school district and are incredibly thankful for our Kiwanis Club of Sonoma Valley, Rotary Club of Sonoma Valley, and Soroptimist Club of Sonoma Valley, all whom donate generously to programs in our school district.

As we begin this school year, we know we face significant fiscal challenges, as do nearly all districts in the state of California, but this isn’t going to deter or stop us from bringing absolutely quality education to the youth in Sonoma Valley.  We have incredibly talented educators and will continue to offer excellent educational programs and activities.  As always, Board members will revisit the district’s overall fiscal status at the September Board Meeting (September 11, 2012). 

Our Board’s agendas and minutes can be found on our website at www.svusdca.org and we encourage you to give us input and attend Board meetings.  Regular Board meetings are scheduled for the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 PM at the Community Meeting Room located at 177 First Street West with the exception of the August 21, 2012 and January 15, 2013 meetings which will be held at the District Office (17850 Railroad Avenue). The Board of Trustees and I always welcome phone calls, letters and e-mails.

Please join us in the work ahead.  We have dedicated staff, talented administrators, and a special community that supports our schools.  Please remember that your individual and collective contributions to your school make an enormous difference and we thank you in advance for your participation!

Sincerely,        

Louann Carlomagno                           Gary DeSmet

Superintendent                                  SVUSD Board President 

Please join us at The Red and White Ball (a fundraiser for SVUSD schools) hosted by The SVEF on

Saturday, August 18^th! (www.svgreatschools.org)