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Our large, vibrant, and diverse school is favored in so many ways. We operate under an advantageous public school funding model, are supported by a generous Education Foundation, active Sports Boosters, and enthusiastic community partners. Our hallways are filled with brilliant, creative educators whose ambitious students are supported at home by engaged parent partners.
The biggest challenge organizations with our level of energy and resources face is focus.
Without clear priorities, established goals, and an inclusive process for gathering input, we could easily spend our days chasing the latest educational fads, running in circles, and burning out our people. Good ideas are in abundance. Great organizations know which good ideas actually serve their core mission.
In education, we call this maintaining coherence.
Our anchor for coherence is the WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) accreditation process. Every six years, our entire community—teachers, parents, students, and administrators—comes together to examine our data, evaluate our practices, and identify our critical school needs. From that work, we build a multi-year Action Plan rooted squarely in our mission, vision, and core values. We are currently in the middle of our six-year cycle, making steady progress on the strategic and incremental goals we set for ourselves.
When a new program, partnership, or innovative grant opportunity comes across my desk, we don't ask, "Is this a cool idea?" We ask, "Where does this directly support the goals we agreed upon in our Action Plan?"
Sticking to the plan isn't about being rigid; it’s about protecting our focus so we can execute at a high level. Most importantly, it prevents us from falling into the trap of zero-sum thinking, wherein the false belief that encouraging one area of our school inherently starves another.
At Sequoia, two truths can live side-by-side. Take the last week, for example:
Within a few hundred feet of the hallway, our largest International Baccalaureate cohort in school history presented complex, university-level defenses of their Extended Essays while a team of teachers collaborated to refine innovative curriculum for 9th and 10th graders who entered Sequoia below grade level in reading. Supporting advanced academic research does not diminish our commitment to foundational literacy. We do both.
In our classrooms, students adhere strictly to our district's mobile device boundaries, keeping phones off and put away. Far from stifling them, that structure creates the quiet, focused space required for our Digital Arts Academy students to produce intricate digital media, or for our Ethnic Studies freshmen to engage in passionate, evidence-based discussions. Structure and creativity are not enemies; structure is the canvas upon which creativity happens.
On Friday night, our Sports Boosters packed the stands for our first home football game, ensuring every student who wants a ticket got in for free. In the music wing, guitars are tuning up and instruments are polishing for upcoming fall performances. Steps away, in Carrington Hall, the cast and crew for Into the Woods is busy preparing for this year’s fall musical. A win on the field is not a loss for the arts.
When an organization lacks coherence, people start competing for crumbs—pitting academics against athletics, or intervention against enrichment. But when we stay anchored to our shared values, resources don't divide us; they multiply what we can accomplish together.
Thank you for your partnership in this endeavor, your trust in the process, and your clear-eyed focus our students deserve.
Have a great week!
Best,
Sean
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💙 Join or Renew Your PTSA Membership | |
Your annual membership helps power so much of what makes Sequoia special – including mini-grants, junior scholarships, the Reflections art program, staff appreciation, and graduation activities.
But membership is about more than funding. It is about showing up for our students and our school.
Every parent who joins, every volunteer who gives an hour, and every voice in the room makes Sequoia stronger.
Join or Renew Your PTSA Membership!
| 🏈 Concessions + Grad Night Support | |
Come out to our home football games, cheer on our Ravens, and help support the Class of 2027 Safe & Sober Grad Night!
Our PTSA concessions stand will be serving up coffee, hot chocolate, Cup-O-Soup, popcorn, and plenty of school spirit. It’s a fun and easy way to connect with other families while helping make a memorable and safe graduation celebration possible for our seniors.
Grab a shift, bring your school spirit, and join us at the next home game!
| 🎨 Reflections Is Launching! | |
We are excited to launch Reflections, a national arts program that gives students the opportunity to explore their creativity and share their unique perspectives through the arts.
This year’s theme is “What My Culture Means to Me.”
Students can participate across multiple artistic disciplines, with submissions due November 9, 2026.
Lean More & Apply Here
| | 🎓 Help us make Grad Night 2028 great | |
Hey, Junior Parents! Interested in helping Sequoia become a more inclusive community?
We need your ideas and energy to help make Grad Night 2028 affordable and accessible. It seems like a long time from now, but we plan and raise funds for this event throughout the high school years!
Email Andy Kitt at vice-president@sequoiaptsa.org to learn more about the kinds of help we're looking for.
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💼 8th Grade Shadow/Tour Parent Volunteers NEEDED!
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Please volunteer to help with 8th grade shadow days and tours. We’re looking for current Sequoia parents to support prospective 8th grade families as they explore our school.
This role involves answering questions, sharing your experience as a parent, and helping new families feel confident about their transition to Sequoia. Sign up HERE!
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💡 Apply for a Mini-Grant!
| Click here or visit the PTSA website for more information on how to apply. Email sequoiaminigrants@gmail.com if any questions. | |
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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Check your mailbox for our fall postcard!
SHSEF raises funds from parents, community members and grantors to close the gap in state and local funding.
Our fundraising goal is $650,000 for the ‘26-27 school year and our recommended ask per student is $1,800, or any gift that is meaningful to your family.
Learn more and DONATE TODAY!
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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 | |
- September 15: Minimum Day
- September 28: No School
| | ★ APOLOGIES - In our last newsletter, we listed September 18th as a No School Day. This is incorrect, and there is instead no school on September 28th. Thank you to everyone who reached out with the fix. | | Get Ready to Meet the Ravens! | | |
Meet the Ravens on Friday 9/18 at Sequoia’s home football game against South San Francisco!
Athletes from ALL SEQ fall sports teams will be recognized, the Jr. Ravens will join Sequoia Cheer on the sidelines, and the Sequoia Dance Team will perform at halftime. All Sequoia students get free game entry!
FOOD TRUCKS • LAWN GAMES on the small turf • JV 4 PM • VARSITY 7 PM against SSF
Boosters Platinum, Gold, and Silver member gifts will be available for pickup at the game, Sequoia swag will be for sale, and the Snack Shack will be open!
| | Still Time to Join Boosters | | Did you know that for only $10, you can join Boosters and be part of the community to support all Sequoia athletes. All levels of membership will receive 2 Sequoia Boosters magnets. Look for us at the entrance of the Meet the Ravens game and we can sign you up on the spot. | | |
Visit our new Athletics site. All home and away games have been added to the Sequoia High School Calendar – and don't forget to follow @seqboosters on social media.
| ¡Prepárate para el evento "Meet the Ravens"!
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Ven a conocer a los Ravens este viernes 18 de septiembre durante el partido de fútbol americano en casa de Sequoia contra South San Francisco!
Se reconocerá a los atletas de TODOS los equipos deportivos de otoño de Sequoia, los Jr. Ravens acompañarán al equipo de porristas (Cheer) de Sequoia al borde del campo y el equipo de baile de Sequoia realizará una presentación en el descanso. ¡La entrada al partido es gratuita para todos los estudiantes de Sequoia!
CAMIONES DE COMIDA • JUEGOS AL AIRE LIBRE en el campo de césped artificial pequeño • Equipo JV (Juvenil) a las 4 p. m. • Equipo Varsity (Principal) a las 7 p. m. contra SSF
Durante el partido se podrán recoger los obsequios para los miembros Platino, Oro y Plata de la asociación de apoyo (Boosters), habrá artículos de Sequoia a la venta y el puesto de aperitivos (Snack Shack) estará abierto.
| Aún estás a tiempo de unirte a los Boosters | ¿Sabías que por solo 10 $ puedes unirte a los Boosters y formar parte de la comunidad que apoya a todos los atletas de Sequoia? Todos los niveles de afiliación incluyen dos imanes de Sequoia Boosters. Búscanos en la entrada del partido «Meet the Ravens» y podremos inscribirte al instante. | |
Visita nuestro nuevo sitio web de deportes. Todos los partidos, tanto en casa como fuera, se han añadido al calendario de Sequoia High School; y no olvides seguir a @seqboosters en las redes sociales.
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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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Your Role in Disrupting Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC)
Jeremy Latta, MSW, San Mateo County Children & Family Services
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Thursday, September 17, 2026, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. PT, Virtual Event (Live)
Register: https://jeremylatta2026.eventbrite.com
In this presentation, Jeremy Latta, MSW, will help parents and educators understand Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC), including warning signs, recruitment tactics, and the prevalence of CSEC in San Mateo County.
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Su papel para combatir la explotación sexual comercial de niños (CSEC)
Jeremy Latta, MSW, Servicios para Niños y Familias del Condado de San Mateo
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Jueves 17 de septiembre de 2026, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. PT, evento virtual (en vivo)
Registro: https://jeremylatta2026.eventbrite.com
En esta presentación, Jeremy Latta, MSW, ayudará a padres y educadores a comprender la Explotación Sexual Comercial de Niños (CSEC), incluyendo señales de alerta, tácticas de reclutamiento y la prevalencia de CSEC en el Condado de San Mateo.
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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 – 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.
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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 – 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.
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Ms. Snow, the Library Media Specialist, sends a newsletter to students on the first of each month filled with book highlights, research links, and more. Click here to read the current newsletter.
| | Costa Rica Youth Exchange | | |
Dear Parents,
My name is Ilba Prego, and I am the Director of the Costa Rica Youth Exchange Spanish Immersion Program in Tilarán, Costa Rica.
For more than 20 years, our program has provided students with a meaningful opportunity to experience Spanish and Costa Rican culture while becoming part of the local community. This is much more than a tourist experience. Students use Spanish every day, interact with Costa Rican students, participate in community activities, and develop greater confidence, independence, and cultural understanding.
I personally live in the community where our program takes place, and our staff members also live here. We know the community, the schools, the families, and the people who work with our students. This local presence allows us to provide personal attention and support throughout the students' stay.
We also understand that every family has different summer schedules. We are flexible with program dates and will do our best to accommodate your family's schedule whenever possible. We are happy to discuss different arrival and departure dates and find an option that works for your student.
I understand that sending your child to another country is a very important decision. Parents naturally want to know about safety, supervision, accommodations, activities, and who will be responsible for their child.
I am always happy to speak directly with parents and answer any questions. I can also provide references from parents of students who have participated in our program, so you can speak with them directly about their family's experience.
Please feel free to contact me at any time by WhatsApp or phone, or we can arrange a Zoom meeting at a convenient time.
My goal is for every parent to feel comfortable, informed, and confident about the program before making a decision. I am always happy to take the time to speak with you personally.
Warm regards,
Ilba Prego
Director
Costa Rica Youth Exchange – Spanish Immersion Program
Tilarán, Costa Rica
ilba@youthcr.org
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