Dear Friends,
It has been such a pleasure to welcome children back to our campuses for in-person instruction. On one hand, it seemed as though it had been forever. On the other, once the students were back together at school, it almost seemed as though we had never been apart. Our students brought with them the excitement, curiosity, and energy that is so familiar to our joyful school days. Thankfully, some things just don’t change.
After these many months, CDC and County safety protocols have become second nature to us. Our students are quite accustomed to mask-wearing at this point, are getting to be expert hand-washers, and readily remind parents about daily screeners. Our district families have also been crucial partners with us; home-school communication will be key as we work together to keep children safe and thriving.
We have all learned so many things since the pandemic started. One important lesson has been this: when we stay focused on our mission, we progress toward it even when the world changes overnight. In Sunnyvale School District, our mission is to provide every student with a strong foundation of academic, behavioral, and social-emotional skills to prepare them for success in a diverse, challenging and changing world, even when we must reimagine instruction to make it so. In support of that effort, we have added resources including “equitable outcomes” teachers, social workers, health assistants, and more so we can strategically approach the effort and measure and improve effectiveness along the way.
It is such an honor to serve the Sunnyvale community. I am grateful for your trust and support and excited to partner with you in this new school year.
In gratitude,
Michael Gallagher
