|
Here’s my week in review. TLDR: Wow!
MONDAY: 10/9/23 was a non-student day in observance of Indigenous People’s Day. I hope students and families were able to enjoy time together and also took a few minutes to reflect on the deep and lasting impact of indigenous culture on the world we live in. For example…
TUESDAY: Because of the activities scheduled for later in the week, 10/10/23 was a Collaboration Day (they usually fall on Wednesdays). After the dismissal of students, teachers worked in their curricular teams on things like designing common assessments, reviewing the results of those assessments, or differentiating learning activities based on the what they learned from those results.
WEDNESDAY: The closest to “normal” we got this week. It was an A-block (meaning only periods 1-3-5-7 meet) with a FLEX period before lunch. Students and teachers have been utilizing the FLEX period to catch up on work, re-take tests and quizzes, or strengthen community. Ask your student what they’re usually up to during their FLEX period.
THURSDAY: It was College Day at Sequoia. All 9th graders visited a local 4-year College or University (I even was able to sneak away and surprise the group at San Jose State on their way into the dining hall. I resisted the lure of soft serve and headed back to campus in time to catch the final minutes of the 11th graders taking the PSAT, which we were able to offer free to all students thanks to our incredible Sequoia High School Education Foundation. 10th and 12th graders completed a series of assignments embedded in their CANVAS pages which helped familiarize them with NAVIANCE (an essential tool for completing college applications and planning post-secondary steps).
FRIDAY: Oh, yeah…I forgot to mention that this was HOMECOMING WEEK! The spirit had been growing each day with themed dress-up, a staff vs. student beach volleyball game, and finally, our first Spirit Rally of the year. Games and performances by our pep band, dance teams, Pacific Islander Club, and teachers (!) brought down the house in Gym One. For 9th Graders, it was a rite of passage – loud, silly, and on the edge of chaos. If they hadn’t already received the message: welcome to high school, kids!
Students and families who attended Friday night’s football game were treated to a victory against Terra Nova, a halftime parade featuring class floats, our Media Center Book Bike, and the ‘57 Chevy Bel Air driven by our Class of ‘57 Scholarship Committee Chair. A record-setting 790 students pre-purchased tickets for our Homecoming Dance on Saturday night. At some point shortly after the last decoration was taken down in Gym One, Activities Coordinator Corey Uhalde hopefully slept for the first time in four days.
I’m glad all weeks aren’t this hectic, but I’m sure grateful for the ones that are.
Have a great week, Sequoia!
Best,
Sean
| 
