Dear Sonoma Valley Unified Community, As we enter the month of April, this is a time to reflect on just how far we have come since the beginning of the school year. Together, we have experienced countless days of learning, growing, and most of all, the joy of being a student.
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to our teachers and staff for their hard work and dedication. Our daily classroom success would not be possible without them creating supportive environments that encourage our students to pursue their goals.
I also thank our Sonoma Valley volunteers and mentors for their many hours of support and contributions to our school community. We celebrate Public School Volunteer Week during April 22-26 and recognize that it truly takes a “valley” to ensure our students thrive.
Our collective efforts made this school year an important foundational step toward our overall goal of preparing our students for the next phase in their academic journeys.
Also, students in grades 3-8 and 11th grade will soon be participating in state standardized testing. Please familiarize yourself with your school’s testing schedule to ensure your children are present.
These exams are opportunities for students to apply what they have learned this academic year. The results from these tests are used to make programmatic decisions overall and as criteria for individual support and placement.
To prepare, it is important that our students prioritize getting a good night’s rest every night and have a nutritious breakfast each morning. These factors can make a big difference. Please encourage your children to do their best.
As always, thank you for your continued support and for being great partners. We at SVUSD appreciate you.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jeanette Rodriguez-Chien Superintendent
Watch a message from Superintendent Rodriguez-Chien.
Supporting a College Path With AVID
Promoting a path to higher education is a key goal at Sonoma Valley Unified School District, and the AVID program is fundamental to supporting this goal. AVID, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, has a mission to close the opportunity gap by preparing all students for college and career readiness and success in a global society. AVID supports an overall college and career readiness school culture. Additionally, at the secondary levels, AVID offers an elective course focused on supporting students with college and career readiness skills and helping them achieve success in their rigorous coursework in high school or middle school. As they move into the upper grades in high school, students in the AVID elective receive support applying for college. AVID teachers and staff are committed to helping our students so they graduate prepared for college and career and overall success in life. AVID is currently offered as an elective course at Adele, Altimira, and Sonoma Valley High School. If you are interested in having your student join the AVID family, please reach out to your child’s school counselor. How important is the AVID program and what impact can it have on the students' lives?
AVID is nationally recognized for its success in closing the opportunity gap through preparing all students for college and career readiness and success, particularly students who are the first in their families to go to college. In middle school, AVID supports students with developing the foundation for college and career readiness. Students who continue with the AVID elective in high school are provided the opportunity for support with rigorous coursework (AP and Honors) and the college application process. Students have shared that being in the AVID elective class inspired them to apply to colleges they would not have applied to without the support of AVID. Additionally, students in the AVID elective move through the years together, creating a sense of community and peer support often leading to a sense of an “AVID family” in high school.
Getting Ready for Standardized Testing
Standardized testing is important because it measures how much students have learned this past school year. By taking these tests, our teachers are better able to assist students and figure out what areas need to be reviewed. It is important for parents and guardians to discuss standardized testing with their students and encourage them to try their best. Student success is the priority at SVUSD, which is why these tests are taken very seriously. Here are some tips for students to prepare for standardized testing:
Rest: Get a good night’s sleep every day, not just the night before a big exam
Eat: Have a nutritious breakfast.
Affirmations: Speak kindly to yourself and tell yourself “I am going to do great!”
Be On Time: Attendance is important, especially on test days
Relax: Walk it off and take some time alone to get rid of the jitters! You will rock these tests!
Ready for Special Olympics at Altimira
We are looking forward to the upcoming Special Olympics event, now in its third consecutive year. This gathering will feature students from kindergarten through 12th grade, all set to compete at Altimira Middle School on May 22, 2024, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.
Spearheaded by the dedicated efforts of the Altimira leadership class and the Physical Education department, this event promises an enriching experience for all involved. Notably, students from both the leadership and PE programs will serve as peer coaches, offering invaluable support to the competing athletes. Among the exciting events lined up are the 50-yard dash, relay race, ball toss, and long jump. It's a celebration of camaraderie, sportsmanship, and the incredible achievements of our students!
Sassarini Wins Educational Innovation Award
It is exciting to share that the Maker Lab program at Sassarini Elementary School won the 2024 Award for Educational Innovation at Sonoma State University.
Congratulations! The Maker Lab at Sassarini is an innovative program that combines STEM curriculum and visual arts to provide a unique space for students to tap into their creativity. Students light up when they enter the room each week and take full advantage of the opportunity to work with a variety of creative materials not commonly found in the classroom or at home.
Principal Stefanie Jordan and Maker Lab Teacher and Program Coordinator Dani Smith-Wroblewski shared that students are provided with the time and space to create in a positive and encouraging environment and foster a growth mindset about engineering. They receive an introduction to basic coding using robots, create models of animal habitats, learn how to use a green screen to produce digital art and videos, and use engineering concepts to build model bridges. Students explore circuitry, motors, and green energy, creating windmills and solar vehicles. Visual art projects from the Maker Lab are displayed during the school’s Open House in the spring.
The Maker Lab program at Sassarini serves about 215 students in 1st through 5th grade and is funded by a grant provided by the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation. We hope to secure additional funding and expand the Maker Program to other elementary schools in our district. We thank our teachers, students and community for your support to these programs that inspire and provide more opportunities for our students to engage in STEM activities.
Sonoma Valley High School Media Arts Pathway Recognized
Media Arts Pathway at Sonoma Valley High School has been selected for Honorable Mention for the 2024 Award for Educational Innovation at Sonoma State University. Congratulations to Peter Hansen (Digital Media Arts Teacher) and Wendy Swanson (Work-Based Learning Coordinator / Academy Director) who worked on the application together, and all the students and staff that make this program a success!
The SVHD Media Arts Program, founded and funded since 2002 by the Sonoma International Film Festival, has blossomed into one of the top media programs in California and beyond. Each year, hundreds of students are introduced to processes of filmmaking, scriptwriting, editing, cinematography, lighting, sound design, acting, podcasting, motion graphics, animation and more. Dozens of students have gone on to four-year university programs and flourished in successful careers with Pixar, Disney, National Geographic, as independent cinematographers, and broadcast engineers. For those not pursuing media, this class offers film theory, history, and most importantly, an appreciation for the essential art of storytelling.
Sonoma Valley High School Student Honored at California Mock Trial Competition
Alina Castro, Sonoma Valley High School junior, was named one of the top two high school defense attorneys at the California Mock Trial Championships in Los Angeles this year. Her coaches, Janet Hansen, the school’s librarian and mock trial coach, and attorneys Jessica Guest, Dave Diamond, Delaney Gold-Diamond and Kathy Richards supported Alina’s preparation for this event, as well as her mom and sisters. Mock trial is an academic competition that teaches students about our justice system. Students gain experience in public speaking, analytical writing, formal behavior, argumentation, thinking on their feet, people skills, and more. The Sonoma Valley High School team had an undefeated record in the Napa/Sonoma counties competition this year. You can read the Sonoma Index-Tribune’s article about Alina here.
Alina Castro and Janet Hansen, the school’s librarian and mock trial coach.
Deadline Extension for 2024-25 Financial Aid Applications
The state priority deadline for Cal Grant and Middle Class Scholarship has been extended from April 2, 2024, to May 2, 2024. As a result, students who submit a 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or a 2024-25 California Dream Act Application (CADAA) by May 2, 2024, will be considered on time for Cal Grant and Middle Class Scholarship consideration. KQED shared more about this extension. Click herefor information from the California Student Aid Commission about the deadline extension for financial aid applications.
Convention at Sonoma Valley High School Selected Slate
Convention took place on March 20, in Golton Hall at SVHS and selected the 2024-2025 Student Leaders. Principal Molly Kiss shared that three Slates ran and Slate 3 won. The students on Slate 3 were Teagan Rhodes, Kendall Clemons, and Esmeralda Tellez. Chris Rivera was their Campaign Manager.
Slate 2 (our 2023-2024 slate) emceed the program for the Convention. Thank you Tammy Rivara and Brianna Gorman, our leadership teachers who organized the Convention, and to everyone who participated in the event! Go Dragons!
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