News & Views from the Superintendent

The Town of Portola Valley invites you to join and participate in its Town Center master planning process. For the details, click here . You can also visit the official site for providing input by clicking here .

Friday, October 14, 2016

Dear Parents and Families,

It was great to give the kids a day off last Monday so teachers could hone their skills. Our efforts were concentrated in three areas: Implementing the new mathematics curriculum, personalizing learning, and assuring our students' school lives are balanced in a healthy way. On this last topic, I invite all parents to get involved by attending our upcoming workshop conducted by Stanford's Challenge Success (see below for more details).

Last week I received a letter from Sequoia Union High School District asking me to help connect with their constituents and the parents of their present and future students. They asked me to alert voters that SUHSD is considering changing from an "at-large" to a "by-district" election for trustees. The topic will be taken up at their Board meeting on October 17; for more details click here, and for maps, click here.

One of the great things about being an educator is the opportunity to help and watch our students grow. Whenever I feel myself becoming a bit frazzled all I have to do is join in their activities and challenges. Yesterday, I dropped in on our MakerSpace while twenty kids were working away (after school) on a challenge while being visited by teachers from Las Lomitas School District. Priceless

-- Eric

Record-Breaking $350,000 Challenge Grant Launched

25 generous District families have pledged to give a total of $350,000 if we can raise an additional $450,000 by Donation Day, October 21st.

If you haven't given yet, please help unlock this record-breaking grant. It is easy to participate; either Donate or Pledge now! Thanks so much!

Meet Ormondale's New Principal

October 6 marked Lynette Hovland's first day on the job as Ormondale Principal and since then she has been working in tandem with Interim Principal Sue Sartor, whose last day was October 14. This transition has given Lynette time to meet one-on-one with staff and to visit all classrooms, while learning the ins and outs of the school.

"The Well-Balanced Student" Parent Event Coming on October 27

Do you worry that your child is stressed out, withdrawn, or anxious due to pressure to "succeed?" If so, this upcoming presentation by Challenge Success is just for you: Thursday, October 27, 6:00 - 7:30 in The Annex on the Corte Madera Campus.

In a high-stakes, high-pressure culture, parent and school expectations may have unintentional but damaging effects on students. Increasing demands on students may lead to unhealthy stress, resulting in burnout, disengagement, or debilitating physical and mental health symptoms.

This workshop examines the tension that parents, students, and teachers often experience over issues such as homework, grades, and the culture of competition, and offers tools for creating a healthier school climate. In this workshop you will:

Explore the latest research on student health, school engagement, and school reform practices
Examine how students today are coping - or not - in the high-pressure, fast-paced culture
Learn effective strategies to work with students and their parents to reduce performance pressure and stress without sacrificing achievement or engagement in school

To sign up for the event, click here.

For further information about Challenge Success, check out their website: http://www.challengesuccess.org/.

-- Minoo Shah, Ph.D., Director of Student Services