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Last week, as it does every August, time bent a little bit on our 35-acre campus.
On Wednesday morning, the future arrived in full force as we kicked off the 2026–2027 school year. Then, on Saturday afternoon, the past walked right back through the front gates for the annual Alumni Picnic.
For nearly fifteen years, I have led campus tours for our returning alumni—graduates spanning from the 1940s to the 1990s. Ken Rolandelli, class of 1963 and president of the Alumni Association, schedules 45-minutes for my tours. It goes fast but the pace forces a certain kind of focus. As I speed the alumni past our modern culinary arts spaces, renovated music wing, and biotech labs, everyone points toward their own personal landmarks. I know to slow down in the eternal areas of campus. They recall the wild stories, the triumphs, the heartbreaks, and the quiet walks under our canopy of historic trees or in the empty hallways of the main building. Shhh...listen for the echoes.
What strikes me during this important week is the invisible bridge linking the graduates of seven decades ago to the fourteen-year-olds who stepped onto our campus for the very first time on Wednesday.
Starting high school can feel overwhelming, but our newest students don’t have to figure it out in a vacuum. Culture isn't taught through handbooks or slide decks. Within minutes of Wednesday’s first bell, our freshmen were watching, absorbing, and learning how to be Sequoians directly from the older peers around them.
They saw it in the vibrant spectrum of fashion choices across the quad: cheerleaders proudly wearing their uniforms alongside students dressed as if they had just walked off the main stage at Outside Lands.
They saw it when upperclassmen spotted lost freshmen wandering the hallways, stopped what they were doing, and pointed them toward the right room.
They saw it in the warm, uninhibited hugs and wide smiles between friends reuniting after a few weeks apart.
And they saw it in the remarkably easygoing, mature way our student body adapted to our updated mobile device expectations—putting screens away so they could actually look each other in the eye.
Our job as educators and parents is to shepherd outstanding academic achievement, critical thinking, and adaptability. But high school has always been about something deeper. It is about learning what kinds of traditions are worth preserving so that we can leave the world better than we found it.
As one alumnus told me as we wrapped up our tour on Saturday: "I hope you know how lucky you are to work here."
I do. Every single day.
Welcome back, Ravens. Let’s have an awesome year!
Best,
Sean
| | Welcome to the New School Year, Raven Families! | | |
I hope everyone had a relaxing summer filled with quality time, fun adventures, and lasting memories.
As we start the new school year, here are a few important dates to keep on your calendar. I also encourage you to bookmark the Sequoia High School Calendar to stay up to date throughout the year.
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📅 Key Dates to Kick Off the School Year
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Wednesday, August 26 – 📸 Photo Day for 10th–12th Graders
- Students should have received an email from Mr. Uhalde with details.
- Seniors should still take their school photo, even if they are scheduling separate senior portraits through CADY studios.
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Students who missed orientation can have their photo taken on Wednesday, August 26.
Tuesday, September 1 – 🎤 Principal's Welcome
- 7:00–8:00 p.m.
- Carrington Hall
Thursday, September 3 – 🏫 Back-to-School Night
The PTSA has an exciting year planned with programs, events, and opportunities to connect, support our students, and strengthen our school community. Whether you're a returning family or joining Sequoia for the first time, we encourage you to get involved. There are volunteer opportunities of every size, and we would love to have you be part of our team.
I look forward to seeing many of you in the weeks ahead. Here's to a fantastic school year!
Go Ravens!
Warmly,
Francoise Monet
President, Sequoia High School PTSA
2026–2027
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Want to support a strong and inclusive community at Sequoia? Join or renew with the PTSA!
Membership is $21 per individual per year. Signing up shows your commitment to making Sequoia a place where all students, teachers and parents are welcome and can feel the UNALIYI spirit!
PTSA parent volunteers...
- host hospitality events to appreciate our teachers and staff
- organize and raise money for graduation events, including Grad Night
- review and award mini-grant applications from students and new teachers
- produce the weekly Sequoia Sentinel and e-mail blasts to help you stay informed about what's happening at school
Whether you can be involved a little or a lot, we can't wait to meet you!
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As a reminder, please follow and like the PTSA on social media to stay connected:
• Facebook: Sequoia High School PTSA
• Instagram: @sequoiaptsa
If you are not currently receiving our email blasts, please make sure to re-subscribe to both the General PTSA and e-blasts here:
https://www.sequoiaptsa.org/mailing-lists-and-newsletter
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The Sequoia High School Education Foundation (SHSEF) supports staff, projects, and programs to ensure that every student has the opportunity to reach their highest potential. We are a group of volunteers who raise funds for student services like on-campus tutoring, enrichment programs, staff professional development, and student and family support. Thanks to parent and community donations and business sponsors, SHSEF funds programs in the following areas:
- Academic & Arts Enrichment programs
- College & Career Preparedness
- Mental Health & Wellness
Learn more about What We Fund and Ways to Give
Want to get involved? Have questions? Email SHSEF President Erica Carter ericacarter.seq@gmail.com.
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Looking for a way to get your SHSEF information and news and engage with our community? Follow us on Instagram: @SequoiaEdFoundation
| | Upcoming Schedule Modifications | | Fall Volunteer Opportunity | | |
Please consider joining the welcoming community of Tuesday morning volunteers who tutor EML (emerging multilingual learners) in ELD/ELA 2 (8:30-10:00 a.m. and/or 10:10-11:45 a.m.) this upcoming fall.
Volunteers support speaking, reading, and writing activities that are often but not always related to project based learning units.
Please use this link to view some projects that volunteers have supported in the past.
This volunteer opportunity requires flexibility and empathy. Please contact Stacy Schmidt Wenzel if you are interested.
Thank you!
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To sign up for the free Parent Venture newsletter, click here.
Questions? Contact Charlene Margot, MEd, Co-Founder and CEO, The Parent Venture, at cmargot@parentventure.org.
¿Preguntas? Comuníquese con Charlene Margot, MEd, co-fundadora y Directora Ejecutiva de The Parent Venture, al correo electrónico cmargot@parentventure.org.
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The Role AI Should—and Should Not—Play in Education
Rebecca Winthrop, PhD, Global Education Leader, Author of The Disengaged Teen
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Thursday, September 10, 2026 - 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PT, Virtual Event (Live)
Register: https://rebeccawinthrop2026.eventbrite.com
Rebecca Winthrop, PhD, will explore how generative AI is reshaping learning and how parents and educators can help students maximize its benefits while reducing its risks.
Parents/caregivers, educators, and community members welcome! Simultaneous Spanish interpretation will be available. Free admission.
This presentation is sponsored by the Sequoia Healthcare District, Sequoia Union High School District, and Peninsula Health Care District, in partnership with The Parent Venture.
Questions? Contact Charlene Margot, MEd, Co-Founder and CEO, The Parent Venture, at cmargot@parentventure.org.
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El papel que la IA debería —y no debería— desempeñar en la educación
Rebecca Winthrop, PhD, líder mundial en educación y coautora de The Disengaged Teen
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Jueves, 10 de septiembre de 2026 – 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PT, evento virtual (en vivo)
Registro: https://rebeccawinthrop2026.eventbrite.com
Rebecca Winthrop, PhD, explorará cómo la inteligencia artificial generativa está transformando el aprendizaje y cómo padres, madres, cuidadores y educadores pueden ayudar a los estudiantes a maximizar sus beneficios mientras reducen sus riesgos.
¡Padres, madres, cuidadores, educadores y miembros de la comunidad son bienvenidos! Habrá interpretación simultánea al español. Entrada gratuita.
Esta presentación es patrocinada por Sequoia Healthcare District, Sequoia Union High School District y Peninsula Health Care District, en colaboración con The Parent Venture.
¿Preguntas? Comuníquese con Charlene Margot, MEd, cofundadora y directora ejecutiva de The Parent Venture, en cmargot@parentventure.org.
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Human Raised: Nurturing Connection, Curiosity and Lifelong Learning in the Age of AI
Dana Suskind, MD, Pediatric Surgeon, Professor, and New York Times Bestselling Author
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Wednesday, September 23, 2026, 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PT, Virtual Event (Live)
Register: https://danasuskind2026.eventbrite.com
Dana Suskind, MD, author of Human Raised, explores how parents and educators can protect the essential “human raised” elements of childhood that help children learn, grow, and thrive.
Parents/caregivers, educators, and community members welcome! Simultaneous Spanish interpretation will be available. Free admission.
This presentation is sponsored by the Sequoia Healthcare District, Sequoia Union High School District, and Peninsula Health Care District, in partnership with The Parent Venture.
Questions? Contact Charlene Margot, MEd, Co-Founder and CEO, The Parent Venture, at cmargot@parentventure.org.
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Human Raised: Fomentando la conexión, la curiosidad y el aprendizaje a lo largo de la vida en la era de la IA
Dana Suskind, MD, cirujana pediátrica, profesora y autora superventas del New York Times
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Miércoles 23 de septiembre de 2026, 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PT, evento virtual (en vivo)
Registro: https://danasuskind2026.eventbrite.com
Dana Suskind, MD, autora de Human Raised, explora cómo los padres y educadores pueden proteger los elementos esenciales de una infancia “criada por humanos” que ayudan a los niños a aprender, crecer y desarrollarse plenamente.
¡Padres, madres, cuidadores, educadores y miembros de la comunidad son bienvenidos! Habrá interpretación simultánea al español. Entrada gratuita.
Esta presentación de Parents Under Pressure está patrocinada por generosos donantes de Sutter Health y la Oficina de Educación del Condado de San Mateo, en colaboración con The Parent Venture.
¿Preguntas? Comuníquese con Charlene Margot, MEd, cofundadora y directora ejecutiva de The Parent Venture,, en cmargot@parentventure.org.
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