Superintendent thanks community for support

June 21, 2006

EDITOR: Petaluma City Schools appreciates the enthusiastic support we receive from our community. Parents, community members, businesses, non-profits, and many others contribute to enrich opportunities for our students.

Recently, 150 adults volunteered to judge the senior projects at Casa Grande High School. Thank you for giving of your time to enrich the senior project experience for our students. This multifaceted learning requires extra efforts by the teachers, the PTSA, and community volunteers and is only possible because so many in our community understand the value of adult involvement in the schools.

Casa Grande and Petaluma High School were awarded a federal Smaller Learning Communities grant to focus on the community and school staff's identified goals of: 1. Family and school connections, 2. Personalization and 3. Authentic curriculum. This year, both schools implemented the third year of theirfive-year plans to address these priorities in an effort to increase the number of students who are prepared for success, either work or advanced study, after they graduate from high school. To address personalization, both high schools are working on developing plans to create environments in which a core group of teachers and other school staffs know each student well, monitor progress, and provide academic and other needed support.

The pathways that lead into career academies are being developed to retain students, increase graduation rates, and ensure that more students pursue post-secondary enrollment to fulfill meaningful career options. Family and school connections are strengthened when parents and community members are involved by activities such as mentoring students, being a guest speaker in classrooms, and providing opportunities for students to apply what they are learning in schools to internships in local business and industry. Please call your principal or Ellen Lewis, community entrepreneur, 778-4702, and ask how you can become involved.

Thank you for your support and involvement in our schools. We know that we cannot do it alone. By working together sharing resources, knowledge, and skills we will better educate our students.

GRETA VIGUIE, superintendent, Petaluma City Schools