How did Open House at each school go this year?

I had the wonderful opportunity to attend four out of our five schools Open House events this year.

At Pine School, Mrs. Stacey was able to introduce herself as the new principal along with letting the parents know about the outstanding programs Pine has to offer. The Open House was well attended and the classrooms looked fantastic. The teachers let the parents know their expectations and what they should expect their children to learn this year.

The High School Open House began in the beautifully restored gymnasium. This was a fantastic venue to introduce the teachers, discuss new programs and invite the parents to get involved in the school's many programs. I had the opportunity to visit most of the classes on campus with our newest school board member, Rochelle Rolfe. Rochelle and I were very impressed with the dedication our teachers have towards their school and students. The teachers went over their rules and requirements of their class along with discussing the state standards they would be covering for the year. Some of the teachers had student work displayed and had demonstrations of their use of technology in the classrooms. Mr. Smith, one of our newest teachers, brought his family along with him and his wife provided some fantastic food from her native country. I was truly impressed with the high quality of teachers this school has. It is also quite evident that the grounds keeping and custodial staff have been busy because the school looked absolutely beautiful. It is, in my opinion, the best looking high school in Imperial Valley. Mrs. Hester and Mr. Pecthl have a lot to be proud of at this school.

Finley's Open House began in the auditorium. It was a "sold out" event with many people filling the auditorium seats and standing on the sides and outside to hear the presentation. Mr. Martinez, making his first public appearance as Finley's principal introduced his staff and went over the new programs that Finley is offering this year. He was happy to introduce Mr. Walker, our new band teacher, who is working hard to make sure our students have an outstanding introduction to music and playing their instruments. Mr. Martinez also talked about the new Promethian boards some of the classrooms will be using this year. The Promethian boards allow the teacher to project a computer desktop onto an interactive screen where students can write, read and manipulate data in their learning. Mr. Martinez also explained how the new dual-immersion classes are underway and that so far the results have been outstanding. I really look forward to visiting more classes at Finley this year to see all the outstanding work our teachers are doing there.

The Middle School's Open House started with a challenge. Right as they were about to set up for the meeting, the weather changed, bringing strong winds, lightning and the threat of rain. Mr. Drye and his staff hastily moved the proceedings indoors and it was apparent the weather did not stop the parents from coming. Cars were lined up the entire length of the street and the parking lots were overflowing. In the cafeteria, Mr. Drye and Mr. Garcia explained the night's schedule and the displays that were available to parents. Many of the District's programs were on display, including the migrant program, ASES program, parent-liaison program and others. In addition, Supplemental Educational Service (SES) providers were on display for parents to view the services they may use. Parents were then dismissed to classrooms to visit with the teachers. Based on the improving test scores for this school and the dedication evident in the classrooms, our students are in good hands at Holtville Middle School.

The only school where I was unable to attend their Open House was Sam Webb High School. Our Assistant Superintendent, Celso Ruiz represented the district. He reported to me that the parent turn out was very strong for a school with 30 students. A special speaker from the Imperial County Office of Education was brought in and well received. Mr. Garcia, the newly assigned principal at SWHS is a strong leader who consistently exhibits very high standards for himself, his staff and his students, is off to a great start this year.

What a wonderful district to be a part of. I look forward to spending a great deal of time at each school, observing classes and supporting our staff as we constantly look for ways to improve the quality of instruction throughout the district.