Back to School 2019

Dear Sharpstein families,

Welcome to August, the Sunday of summer!   Mr. Garcia and I enjoyed a month of camping in our tiny little trailer in July.  We got to see some beautiful country, and it was wonderful to get back in touch with some of those things that brought me joy as a child, like reading, writing, playing music, and exploring our natural world.

This is a picture of me in 1975 when I was a 10-year-old fifth grader at Camino Pablo Elementary School in Moraga, California.   In my free time, I loved to play the piano and sing, read, write, and spend time exploring outdoors. These activities brought me great satisfaction, and I could get lost for hours in a book, or watching an anthill, or playing the piano. 

I’ll be keeping the picture near my desk this year as a reminder that, like me back then, our students are all in the process of discovering what makes them tick and what their passions are.  And just like my music teacher, Mrs. Curtis, and my 5th grade teacher, Mr. Dean, an important part of our job is to support them in that discovery. Helping our community’s children become their best selves, individually and together, is a large part of what inspires me about being a principal.  Yes, high levels of academic learning for all our kids is our core mission. But helping them learn about themselves and what ignites their curiosity ensures they will be able to apply their academic learning in ways that bring them joy and contribute to our world in positive ways. THAT is what being a lifelong learner is all about.

This year, we’ll continue our strong emphasis on daily on-time attendance.  As a part of our communication efforts about the importance of attendance, there is a letter included in this mailing showing your child’s number of absences last year compared to the average for our school and our district.  Ensuring regular on-time attendance communicates to your child that their education is important to you. Even missing two days per month in elementary school can significantly reduce a child’s likelihood of graduating from high school.

Kindergarten parents: During the first week of school, kindergarten students do not attend. Instead, individual appointments are scheduled for each child. You will receive a separate mailing with your child’s individual appointment time.  If you did not receive a letter, please call the school office at 527-3098.

Thursday, August 29th from 5:30-7:00: PTA Back to School Ice Cream Social, Open House, and school supply drop-off:   Supply lists can be found on our website, at WalMart, KMart, Shopko, and Staples, or can be picked up in the office at Sharpstein.

Tuesday, September 3rd: 1st day of school: Morning Exercise begins in the gym at 7:50, school begins at 8:00 

Wednesday, September 4th: Early release: School dismissal at 1:40

Please do not hesitate to call if you have questions. You can also email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  I am so looking forward to seeing your children’s faces in just another month!

 

Sincerely,

Maria Garcia, Principal

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