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INSIDE YOUR SCHOOLS E-NEWSLETTER March 2011 |
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Visit us online at...www.srvusd.net |
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Important Dates: |
Inside this issue:
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From the Superintendent Happy First Day of March,For this month’s letter I thought I might address three different topics that are not particularly related except that they represent the complexity of our work and the environment in which we live. The topics are (1) keeping schools safe, (2) the budget and the impact on teacher layoff notices, and (3) thoughts about the recent widespread discussions regarding public education. Last weekend I had the opportunity to meet with a group of superintendents from across the country. One of our speakers was Jane Hammond, former superintendent of the district that included Columbine High School at the time when they suffered their terrible tragedy. (Ironically, she is now retired and lives only two blocks from the recent shooting in Tucson.) Her brief talk served as a powerful reminder that we can never take the safety of our schools for granted. Every school needs a proactive culture that includes closely monitoring everyone coming on campus and, perhaps more importantly, a student centered safety net where every student is well known by at least one adult and where a student's anger or other issues are quickly spotted and addressed. Parents serve a critical role in communicating with the school when warning signs appear, whether they be with their own children or other students they may know. None of us want our lives to be forever changed in a way that Ms. Hammond said hers was on that dreadful April 20, 1999. As for the budget--who knows? We continue to prepare for the worst and hope for the best as we don't know if the tax measure will get on the June ballot and even if it does, whether or not it will pass. But despite this uncertainly I have some good news to share. The district will NOT be issuing pink slips this year! The Board and Cabinet believe that because of our continuing growth and our conservative spending resulting in improved financial reserves, we can avoid this disruption to schools, students, and certainly to the staff impacted by the terrible anxiety created by the layoff notices. (The exception, as it is every year, unfortunately is for teachers with temporary contracts as we must wait for confirmation of parent funding or to hear from teachers coming back from leaves.) We should note however, that should the state budget get worse because of the June election or other factors, we still could face class size increases, program reductions and possibly a need for more employee concessions. Should this be the case we may have to allow class sizes to "float up", possibly to the maximum by contract or Education Code by not filling vacancies caused through normal attrition. This will mean that most vacancies will have to wait until we know more about the state budget. The difference between what the Governor has proposed (with the tax extensions passing) and what some predict will happen if they do not pass is huge for our school district! I don't know any way around this "wait and see" approach for the district, and I suspect this will be true for most school districts.. Finally, it’s always my pleasure and honor to visit our schools and classrooms These visits remind me that public education continues to be the cornerstone of our democracy where, because of incredible teachers, administrators and support staff, children of all backgrounds are given opportunities to succeed and reach their full potential. I am disappointed however, about the attacks on public education that seem to be filling the airways of late. I think we can all agree that there is room and even need for reform and change. In fact I often speak to this very issue. But talking about needed change which better serves students is much different than creating simple sound bites for what really are very complex issues. I continue to believe that public education is critical for a healthy society and that change must be made thoughtfully in order to get the results that are desired. I hope you all have a great month of March. Thank you for reading and for your support of the San Ramon Valley Unified School District.
Steven Enoch
Superintendent of Schools
SRVUSD Speaker Series Begins This Week! There is still time to register for any of the four sessions in the District’s first-ever Speaker Series held at our local high schools during the month of March. The Series is geared to high school students and parents in our community. No Cost! To register for any of the four presentations and for more information, go to: www.srvusd.net/speaker_series_2011/ The first presentation will be held on Wednesday, March 2, 6:30-8:00 PM at the San Ramon Valley High School Performing Arts Center. The presenter is Patrick Lencioni (photo left), founder and president of The Table Group, a firm dedicated to providing organizations with ideas, products and services that improve teamwork, clarity and employee engagement. The wide-spread appeal of Lencioni’s leadership models have yielded a diverse base of speaking and consulting clients, including a mix of Fortune 500 companies, professional sports organizations, the military, non-profits, schools and churches. Lencioni is the author of nine best-selling books with nearly three million copies sold. After nearly nine years in print, his book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team continues to be a fixture on national best-seller lists. Recently named in Fortune magazine as one of the ‘ten new gurus you should know,’ Pat and his work have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY and Harvard Business Review, to name a few. Prior to founding his firm, he worked as a corporate executive for Sybase, Oracle and Bain & Company. He also served on the National Board of Directors for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. He volunteers at his local parish where he leads the youth ministry program for middle school aged kids. Pat lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and four sons. There is no cost to attend the event. Donations accepted. All donations benefit the San Ramon Valley Education Foundation. Whooping Cough Booster Shot now Required! A new California law (AB 354) now requires students to be vaccinated against whooping cough. For the 2011-12 school year only, all students entering 7th through 12th grades will need proof of an adolescent whooping cough booster shot (Tdap) before starting school. Thereafter, in future school years, only students entering 7th grade will need proof of an adolescent whooping cough booster shot (Tdap) before starting school. By law, students who do not have proof of receiving a Tdap booster shot will not be able to start school until proof is provided to the school. (The tetanus-diphtheria booster shot, Td, will not meet the requirement.) Visit the district website for more information. District Pilots new Junior Kindergarten for some 5-year-olds The San Ramon Valley Unified School District will be piloting two classes of “Junior Kindergarten” in the 2011-2012 school year. This program is intended for students who will turn five years of age between November 1 and December 2, 2011. Junior Kindergarten is a program that supports academic and social readiness in young children prior to entering regular kindergarten. If your child is age eligible for this program and you are interested in the Junior Kindergarten program, contact Educational Services at 925-552-2914 or visit the SRVUSD website for more information coming soon. Free and Reduced-Price Lunches Did you know that the San Ramon Valley Unified School District provides free and reduced-price meals for children served under the National School Lunch Program? The National School Lunch Program is a federally funded program that assists schools and other agencies in providing nutritious lunches to children at reasonable prices. Free or reduced price meals are provided to children who qualify for such benefits according to specified family size and income standards. This is a difficult economic environment, and we encourage all familes who are eligible to apply for this program. For more information, qualifications and to apply, visit: http://srvusd.ca.schoolloop.com/parents/free_reduced_lunch SRVUSD now on FACEBOOK! Fresh off the press – The San Ramon Valley Unified School District has dipped its toe into the social network waters and joined over 400 million individuals and organizations on Facebook. The goal is to help keep parents and citizens more informed of the latest news and upcoming events within the educational community. “Sites like Facebook are allowing organizations like ours to share information and engage our community in new and creative ways,” said Steve Enoch, SRVUSD Superintendent of Schools. Interested parents and community members can become “fans” of the School District’s page by going to www.facebook.com/srvusd. Student Recognition Project Open House - Community is Invited to Attend All community members are welcome and encouraged to attend the annual Student Recognition Project Open House and Project Display. Wednesday, March 10, 4-7PM Bishop Ranch 3, 5th Floor, 2603 Camino Ramon, San Ramon The event is an opportunity to view and acknowledge hundreds of projects created by high school students in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District. There will also be entertainment by local high school choral and instrumental groups. Students who participate in the Project compete in any of 26 categories that showcase their skills both within and outside the curriculum. Project judging is done by professional business people with extensive expertise in the various categories. Student winners are announced at the Open House, and honored at a gala breakfast on April 1st. The program is coordinated by the San Ramon Valley Business and Education Roundtable and sponsored, in part, by Chevron. The purpose of the program is to create collaboration among students, educators and the business community in the San Ramon Valley, to promote educational excellence and to prepare students for the business world of the 21st century. Categories include: Acting, Applied Design, Architecture, Automotive, Computer Aided Drafting, Community Service, Creative Writing, Culinary Arts, Dance, Digital Art (*new category), Early Childhood Education, Entrepreneur, Fashion Design, Financial Planning/Investment, Instrumental Music, Journalism, Photography-Digital, Photography-Film, Poetry (*new category), Robotics, Science, Video Production, Visual Arts (Black&White), Visual Arts (Color), Vocal Music, Web Design No cost to attend. Refreshments will be provided. For more information about the program, visit http://www.srvusd.net/srp San Ramon Valley High School Celebrates 100-year Anniversary with Big Bash San Ramon Valley High School, SRVUSD’s oldest high school is celebrating its 100-year anniversary with numerous events and activities to mark the milestone. On Saturday, March 19, the Blackhawk Museum will host the SRV 100-Year Gala -- an elegant event to honor the high school's centennial. An estimated 600 guests including alumni, parents, community residents and elected officials will enjoy an evening featuring a live and silent auction, dinner and dancing. To purchase tickets to the SRV 100-Year Gala, visit www.srvhs.net or call 925-437-2034. Other March festivities include the grand opening of SRVHS' main gym on Friday, March 18. This event is free to the public.
News from the San Ramon Valley Education Foundation The San Ramon Valley Education Foundation has launched its first ever membership drive, called Friends of the Foundation. Proceeds will benefit programs like Classroom 2.0, Professional Development U, and a variety of cutting edge STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) initiatives throughout the district. Be a “Friend of the Foundation” and support these initiatives. Members get a variety of freebies, discounts and perks from the community for joining. To become a member, visit www.srvef.org Whole Foods “Community Support Day” is Thursday, March 31st- Whole Foods in San Ramon (near Target) has selected the San Ramon Valley Education Foundation (SRVEF) for their March 31st “Community Support Day”. SRVEF will receive 5% of ALL revenues for the day. This includes: groceries, in-store dining, deli, take-out, everything! SRVEF supports and promotes education in our community in partnership with the San Ramon Valley Unified School District. Together with our 26 affiliates, we raise $6 million dollars/year for our underfunded schools. Support our schools and eat well while you’re doing it! Visit Whole Foods in San Ramon anytime on March 31st; no coupon or flyer needed.
Whole Foods is located at 100 Sunset Drive, San Ramon (Target shopping center) "A Night at the Ballpark with SRVEF" – April 15th, 7pm (Oakland Athletics vs Detroit Tigers) Enjoy the Oakland A's (vs. Tigers) game with the San Ramon Valley Education Foundation. Bring your families and friends. It's the Oakland A's vs Detroit Tigers on April 15th, Friday @7pm (Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum). SRVEF Special Discounted Ticket Price: $20 per Plaza Level ticket (reg. $26). Get to the game early to get your FREE A's Fleece Blanket! First 300 tickets* purchased get entered into a drawing to win a VIP box suite which accommodates 18 people (to be used for a game at a later date). Click here to purchase your tickets now. Take advantage of this special SRVEF ticket price. Hurry and get your tickets! Ticket sales end 3/14th. Questions: info@srvef.org. *Note: A minimum of 300 tickets need to be sold in order for the drawing to happen. "Honoring Valley Veterans" on display at Museum of the San Ramon Valley The Museum of the San Ramon Valley at the Railroad Depot in Danville is hosting an exhibit "Honoring Valley Veterans--Heroes in Defense of Freedom" until March 5, 2011. Students and their families are encouraged to visit. The displays are dramatic and should provide an educational experience for all ages. For more information, visit www.museumsrv.org
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San Ramon Valley Unified School District / 699 Old Orchard Drive / Danville, CA 94526 / 925-552-5500 www.srvusd.net |
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