By Penny Weaver, Superintendent, Scotts Valley Unified School District
August is the best time of the year as it is almost time for the team to return to Scotts Valley Unified School District! Welcome back to a new school year. Our first day for students is Wednesday, Aug. 27.
Our students will continue to face a variety of changes such as the world of work, volatile global economic systems, the need to re-think the sources and uses of energy, as well as evolving technologies. We prepare our students to engage in this work, teach them to contribute to the future, and help them to navigate increasing pathways to college and career.
We do this by helping our elementary students develop a solid foundation in literacy, math and computing. We teach them to learn to work and to play as individuals and in collaboration with one other.
At the middle school level, students are grouped into academies where they move from a self-contained classroom to multiple periods of instruction with different teachers. Social teamwork, collaboration, and project-based learning add to the foundation. Our middle school students apply skills in reading and writing, and begin to explore algebra and layers of abstraction. They begin to use scientific inquiry, engage in history/social science and community service projects. Band and choir, sports, science fair projects, technology applications and other electives expand student interests in preparation of transition to high school.
Students continue to engage in the new three “R’s”— rigor, relevance and relationships in high school. Many of our students participate in the IB (International Baccalaureate) Certificate and Diploma Program. The IB has become a signature program for SVHS, attracting students from throughout the Central Coast of California as well as from international locations such as Australia, Germany, Sweden, Thailand, and the United Kingdom.
The program has earned a reputation for rigorous assessment, giving IB diploma holders access to the world’s leading universities. Community service and leadership roles continue to provide opportunities for our students to prepare for post-secondary experiences.
Thanks to the efforts of Team SVUSD, our parents and community, our students will be engaged, challenged, and prepared for the next step. May we make the best of our time in 2014-2015 “Together for Excellence.”
Join me in welcoming to new leadership roles:
Michelle Stewart, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment — Michelle has served for six years as Principal of Vine Hill Elementary School. During her tenure there, Vine Hill was selected to participate in the Cotsen Foundation “Art of Teaching” professional development program. Michelle also achieved grant funding for
professional development for all staff in the area of teaching writing. She also secured a “Comcast Cares” day of community service to Vine Hill Elementary resulting in the completion of needed maintenance and campus beautification. Michelle’s focus areas include curriculum, instruction, professional development, and assessment. Michelle will lead the implementation of our LCAP (Local Control Accountability Plan) goals.
Julie Ebert, Vine Hill Elementary School Principal — Julie Ebert comes to Scotts Valley from the Soquel Union Elementary School District where she served as the Assistant Principal of New Brighton Middle School for two years. Prior to that assignment, she was an intervention teacher and classroom teacher in the district for 16 years. Additionally, she worked as a bilingual teacher in San Jose. Julie has taught students in all the grade levels from Kindergarten through 8th grade. She received a B.A. in Sociology from the University of California at Santa Barbara. She received her California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and an M.A. in Educational Leadership from San Jose State University. She is looking forward to meeting the staff and becoming a part of the Scotts Valley School District team.
I am also pleased to introduce Lynne Thompson, administrative assistant to the Superintendent. Lynne brings a variety of professional experiences to her position. She has served as President, Vice President and as a Board Member for a K-12 school district, worked as an executive assistant and has been a successful business owner. She is personable and a wonderful new addition to the District team.
Our new colleagues are eager to start the year and begin to fill the shoes of our wonderful and cherished staff who retired in June as well as others who have moved on to other positions.