September Visits to Markham, Sierra and Schnell

Since my retirement I've had much more flexibility and have been able to get out to the school sites and see different programs that are happening around the District in September.

On September 15th I was able to visit Markham campus and see what's happening under the new leadership of Principal Gassaway. It was clear from the start that principal Gassaway is a hands on leader whom the students and staff respect. He addressed minor shinanagans that were occuring during lunch and break with heart and swiftness, and it was clear that studnets know what is expected. We visited several classes and while some classes were known to be "tough to manage", studnets seemed well behaved and engaged in the activities of the class. I was able to visit Dr. Isherwoods AVID class where I met a 7th grade student who was inspired through this class to get a job and school staff helped facilitate that!

On September 18th Mrs Phillips toured me around Sierra School campus to see how we are helping to support students in Special Education, as well as see how the Number Talks curriculum is being implemented across grade levels. The students were very eager to participate in the Number Talks lessons and share how they came up with their answers. I was also very impressed that studnts complemented others for sharing and for the work they did. While we visited classrooms, it was so sweet to see how the students respond to the Principal visiting the classroom

On September 22nd I visited Schnell School and Mr. Baker gave me a tour of the Dual Immersion program classes, shared how our Special Education students are being served inside and outside the classroom, and we had time to witness the power of the Right Start Program, where parents/caregivers can come together to learn how to support their child’s learning! It was evident in observations of students in the different classrooms that great progress is being made in the DI Program from grade to grade! And the Right Start Program is off to a great start this year with at least 20 parent/caregivers in attendance!

Finally, I was able to attend The Hispanic Heritage Celebration at Schnell and it was such a great turn out, showcasing a dance troupe from Sacramento area schools and food donated then prepared by parents and staff in the DI program. Proceeds from food sales went to the Schnell School PTC. What a community effort and great celebration!