Welcome to our board meeting!

Over the past 10 months as your superintendent, I have had the opportunity to visit many classrooms, 99% of our campuses, and a variety of district events that focused on both academics and extra-curricular activities. I am never surprised, but always in appreciation and awe for the dedication, inspiration, and motivation of our certificated and classified employees, as well as our interested and involved parents and community members.

I know so much more wonderful and excellent work has occurred this year that I don’t even know about or haven’t seen. Hopefully, someone at your site or in your department has acknowledged your positive contribution to our students’ achievement and the culture of our district.

Please allow me to mention a few recent impactful events:

• On April 15th I sat on a panel with other women community leaders for Otay Ranch HS’s 1st Annual Senior Experience Forum. Their theme in this inaugural year was “Breaking Barriers & Changing Perceptions: Finding the Hero Within.” The students created questions for each panel member to answer. Each panel member had a fabulous opportunity to share her personal story about who inspired each of us to pursue our journey. All around it was a great event. Special accolades to teachers Karen Saiki and Daniel Kray for supporting and sponsoring the senior forum.

• The “Return and Inspire to become a Sweetwater Educator” (R.I.S.E) Program kickoff was held on April 20 at SDSU. Sweetwater teachers and administrators attended along with about 30 current Compact Scholars to hear about our guaranteed employment offer for Compact Scholars who want to return to teach math, science, or special education in our district. That alone was inspiring! And then, I was further inspired when I visited classrooms at MVH on April 22 where juniors and seniors approached me to ask more about the RISE Program. The word is getting out. We are so excited at the possibilities this program can accomplish for our future as a community.

• This coming Wednesday, April 27, is Administrative Professionals’ Day, otherwise known as Secretary’s Day. We know we cannot be as effective with our students without the support of our Office Technical & Business Services staff. Kudos and much appreciation to all of you! This past Friday evening close to 200 of our Administrative Professionals, and a smattering of other staff, celebrated this occasion together at SUHSD’s 54th Annual Secretaries Dinner at the Venue in Eastlake. Applause to the Finance Department who hosted this year with an 80’s theme. It was, “like totally gnarly and to the max!” By the time I left, everyone was having a “rad” time! This tradition began in 1963 and I’m so glad we honor these kinds of events that make a difference in our climate and culture. Next year, the event will be hosted by HH and HM. Go Lancers and Falcons!

• April 23rd, I attended two very worthwhile fund-raising events. One was the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Walk held at Liberty Station. I have attended that event now for the past six years to support very close family friends who are impacted by this debilitating disease. There were over 4,000 people walking as a commitment to their heroes and “sheroes.” I’m going to talk about their theme this year a little later in my message.

• I left the MS Walk and dashed off to the Special Services office on L St. where one person’s dream has become a reality. Colleen Finn, health care assistant with our Autism team, inspired others in Special Services to organize and host the Ride for Autism. Colleen is a motorcycle enthusiast. She thought wouldn’t it be great if we organized a fund-raiser for our students in Sweetwater identified with Autism; something other than a walk or run. So, on Saturday at the 2nd Annual event, close to 100 riders, many of them on Harley’s and led by CV Police, took a tour of our district with these flags waving on their motorcycles – from L St. to Olympian HS to ELM to Granger, through the Strand to Mar Vista HS and the last stop at SYH. It was quite a sight for all to see! At each school site visited, the riders were met and greeted by students and staff celebrating their contribution to our students and district. It just takes one person with an idea; truly, it’s the ripple effect in action!

• Finally, one of our special education teachers on special assignment, Christine Fax-Huckaby, had an article published on April 19th in eSchool News entitled, “How shifting to a UDL (Universal Design for Learning) mindset enhances Common Core.” In the article she shares “when special and general education teachers collaborate, everyone benefits.” Ms. Fax-Huckaby goes on to say that implementation of the Common Core can be stressful, but “when educators are empowered to share their expertise with one another, and given the time and place they need to collaborate, they surpass expectations and their students soar.” Thank you Christine for sharing our best practices of collaboration across the Internet.

This takes me back to the MS Walk theme this year. Their theme is similar to our own ongoing mantra of the value and power of collaboration. I have mentioned in a previous message that I believe that none of us is as smart as all of us and none of us can do this work alone. Tonight, I want to reinforce that message with the theme of this year’s MS Walk –

WE’RE STRONGER TOGETHER!

Thank you for the opportunity to serve and support all of you!

Sincerely,
Karen Janney, Ed.D.